NORTHERN IRELAND

Departmental Manpower

Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many layers of management reporting from the most senior to the most junior there are in his Department and each of its agencies; how many officials are employed in each such layer; and how much was spent on salaries and associated employment costs of staff at each such layer in the latest year for which information is available.

Paul Goggins: The number of staff in each management layer and the amount spent on salaries and associated employment costs in the Northern Ireland Office (NIO) and its agencies is set out in the following table. Please note that the NIO (core) accounting system does not detail individual grade costs within the SCS grade, B grade and D grade. Salaries and associated employment costs include salaries and wages, employers national insurance contributions and employers' pension costs.
	
		
			  Northern Ireland Office (core Department) 
			  Grade  Staff numbers (actual staff numbers not  full-time equivalent)  Salary and associated costs 2008-09  (rounded to nearest £) 
			 Permanent Secretary (SCS) 1  
			 Director General (SCS) 2  
			 Director (SCS) 9  
			 Deputy Director (SCS) 22 5,024,790 
			
			 Grade A 156 8,956,203 
			
			 Grade B1 201  
			 Grade B2 165 14,658,159 
			
			 Grade C 263 7,992,110 
			
			 Grade Dl 292  
			 Grade D2 169 8,922,290 
		
	
	
		
			  Compensation Agency 
			  Grade  Staff numbers (actual staff numbers not  full-time equivalent)  Salary and associated costs 2008-09  (rounded to nearest £) 
			 Deputy Director (SCS) 1 86,357 
			 Grade A 5 236,790 
			 Grade B1 3 131,967 
			 Grade B2 10 392,910 
			 Grade C 22 600,180 
			 Grade Dl 21 414,414 
			 Grade D2 13 224,180 
		
	
	
		
			  Youth Justice Agency 
			  Grade  Staff numbers (actual staff numbers not  full-time equivalent)  Salary and associated costs 2008-09  (rounded to nearest £) 
			  Civil servants   
			 Deputy Director (SCS) 1 95,085 
			 Grade A 2 128,360 
			 Grade B1 5 267,442 
			 Grade B2 14 459,524 
			 Grade C 14 329,950 
			 Grade Dl 43 731,226 
			
			  Non-civil servants   
			 Director (Grade A) 2 131,584 
			 Assistant Director/Other Management (Grade B1) 11 508,089 
			 Project Managers/Managers (Grade B2) 93 3,668,733 
			 Teacher/Driver/Instructor/ Social Workers (Grade C) 98 2,541,551 
			 Care workers/ domestic staff (Grade D1) 113 3,791,885 
			  Note: In addition the YJA also pay an annual service charge of £1,132,000 in relation to the NILGOSC pension scheme. 
		
	
	
		
			  Forensic Science NI 
			  Grade  Staff numbers (actual staff numbers not full-time equivalent)  Salary and associated costs 2008-09 (rounded to nearest £) 
			 Deputy Director (SCS) 1 111,833 
			 Grade A 14 894,077 
			 Grade B1 47 2,159,183 
			 Grade B2 28 810,142 
			 Grade C 42 1,099,520 
			 Grade Dl 53 809,903 
			 Grade D2 5 94,383 
		
	
	
		
			  Northern Ireland Prison Service 
			  Grade  Staff numbers (actual staff numbers not full-time equivalent)  Salary and associated costs 2008-09 (rounded to nearest £) 
			  Admin grades   
			 Director (SCS) 1 149,276 
			 Deputy Director (SCS) 3 316,874 
			 Grade A 27 1,290,107 
			 Grade B1 35 1,660,818 
			 Grade B2 81 2,527,984 
			 Grade C 112 2,554,263 
			 Grade Dl 124 2,444,403 
			 Grade D2 34 660,205 
			
			  Uniform grades   
			 Governor 1 2 209,037 
			 Governor 2 4 381,405 
			 Governor 3 4 221,705 
			 Governor 4 15 878,309 
			 Governor 5 22 1,399,973 
			 Principal Officer 72 4,087,588 
			 Senior Officer/Senior PCO 176/15 8,865,298/320,139

Departmental Manpower

Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what estimate he has made of the proportion of staff of  (a) his Department and  (b) its agencies managed out in the last five years who remain working in the public sector.

Paul Goggins: The Department is unaware of the current employment status of staff who have been "managed out".

Departmental Official Cars

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what estimate he has made of the cost to his Department of providing official cars for the use of  (a) Ministers and  (b) officials in the last 12 months.

Paul Goggins: I refer the hon. Member to the written ministerial statement regarding the cost of ministerial cars made by my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Transport (Paul Clark) on 16 July 2009,  Official Report, columns 79-80WS.
	The cost of providing official cars from the Government Car and Despatch Agency to Northern Ireland Office (NIO) Ministers in 2008-09 was £286,200.
	The cost of providing official cars from the Government Car and Despatch Agency to NIO Officials in 2008-09 was £71,769.

Departmental Pay

Vincent Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland pursuant to the answer of 7 December 2009,  Official Report, columns 21-22W, on departmental pay, how many and what proportion of staff of his Department received both an annual performance bonus and an in-year bonus in 2008-09; what the largest combined bonus payment to an individual was; what proportion of staff received no bonus; and who was responsible for awarding such bonuses.

Paul Goggins: 13 per cent. of staff in the Northern Ireland Office, 264 in total, received a non-consolidated performance payment and a special performance payment in 2008-09. The combined largest bonus was £2,040. 36 per cent. of staff did not receive either of these payments. Performance payment recommendations are made by line managers and are approved by Directors in each business area.

Departmental Written Questions

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what average time his Department took to answer questions for  (a) ordinary written answer and  (b) written answer on a named day in the last 12 months.

Paul Goggins: The information is not held in the format requested.
	Between 1 January 2009 and 31 December 2009, the Northern Ireland Office (NIO) answered 73 per cent. of ordinary written questions on time.
	Over the same period, 79 per cent. of named day questions were answered on time.
	With effect from the current Session of Parliament, each Department will provide the Procedure Committee with sessional statistics on performance. This implements recommendation 24 of the 3(rd) report from the Procedure Committee, Session 2008-09.

SCOTLAND

Departmental Manpower

Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many employees in his Department are in transition prior to being managed out; how long on average the transition window between notification and exit has been in each of the last five years; what estimate he has made of the salary costs of staff in transition in each such year; and what proportion of employees in transition were classed as being so for more than six months in each year.

Ann McKechin: The Scotland Office does not employ staff. All staff in the Scotland Office are on secondment from the Scottish Executive or the Ministry of Justice.

PRIME MINISTER

Armed Forces: Compensation

John Austin: To ask the Prime Minister what further consideration he has given to the matters raised in the letters from the hon. Member for Erith and Thamesmead of 15 April, 28 May and 8 December 2009 on the treatment of compensation payments and calculation of benefits in respect of service personnel killed in action.

Gordon Brown: I have asked my hon. Friend, the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at the Department of Work and Pensions (Helen Goodman) to meet my hon. Friend to discuss these matters.

WALES

Departmental Billing

Vincent Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what estimate he has made of the average length of time taken by his Department to pay invoices from  (a) small and medium-sized enterprises and  (b) all creditors in the last 12 months.

Peter Hain: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Glasgow, East (John Mason) on 18 January 2010,  Official Report, column 8W. Payment of all invoices is monitored and published in our departmental annual report, a copy of which can be found in the Library.

Departmental Manpower

Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many employees in his Department are in transition prior to being managed out; how long on average the transition window between notification and exit has been in each of the last five years; what estimate he has made of the salary costs of staff in transition in each such year; and what proportion of employees in transition were classed as being so for more than six months in each year.

Peter Hain: Nil.

Industrial Health and Safety

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales pursuant to the answer of 19 January 2010,  Official Report, column 215W, on industrial health and safety, if he will place in the Library a copy of the induction pack issued to new starters within his Department.

Peter Hain: My Department's Induction Pack also contains the names and contact details of staff; information on security and evacuation procedures, and other sensitive information. On this basis, I am afraid that I am unable to place a copy in the Library of the House.

ENVIRONMENT FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS

Departmental Advertising

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate he has made of his Department's expenditure on  (a) television,  (b) radio,  (c) print and  (d) online advertising in (i) 2009-10 and (ii) 2010-11.

Dan Norris: The Department's estimated advertising spend for 2009-10 in the media specified is outlined in the table. Expenditure on advertising in these media for 2010-11 has yet to be agreed.
	
		
			  Medium  Cost (£) 
			 Television 0 
			 Radio 500,000 
			 Print-campaigns 1,000,000 
			 Print-recruitment and statutory notices 30,000 
			 Online advertising 180,000

Departmental Billing

John Mason: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what proportion of invoices from suppliers his Department paid within 10 days of receipt in December 2009.

Dan Norris: In December 2009 the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs paid 99.92 per cent. of invoices within 10 days.

Departmental Conferences

John Baron: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs which conferences held overseas have been attended by civil servants based in his Department in the last three years; and what the cost to the public purse was of such attendance at each conference.

Dan Norris: Information on the conferences overseas attended by civil servants and the cost of such attendance could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Departmental Disclosure of Information

David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether  (a) agencies and  (b) non-departmental public bodies for which his Department is responsible sell information on a commercial basis to (i) companies or individuals in the private sector and (ii) other organisations.

Dan Norris: DEFRA's agencies and NDPBs make most of their information available free of charge for non-commercial use. In some cases a small charge, to recover the marginal cost of supply, is levied. The Environment Agency, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, and CEFAS supply some of their data on a commercial basis for which a charge is made in accordance with the reuse of public sector information regulations.

HOUSE OF COMMONS COMMISSION

Bars

Michael Fabricant: To ask the hon. Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission on what dates  (a) Bellamy's Bar,  (b) Bellamy's Club Room and  (c) the Astor Suite have been refurbished since 1997; and what the cost was of each such refurbishment.

Nick Harvey: Since 1997,  (a) Bellamy's Bar,  (b) Bellamy's Club Room and  (c) the Astor Suite have been refurbished once. The refurbishment spanned two years: the Astor Suite and the Club Room (part) in summer 2007; the bar and completion of the Club Room in summer 2008. The total cost of the refurbishment was £480,000 including fees and furnishings.
	Of the £480,000 spent on the refurbishment, it is estimated that approximately £168,000 of the work would be of continuing benefit in a new child care facility and efforts would be made to reuse the furniture which was provided at a cost of £66,000.

Departmental Manpower

Nicholas Winterton: To ask the hon. Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission pursuant to the answer of 18 January 2010,  Official Report, column 2W, on manpower, for what reasons the comparable information for 2000-01 to 2006-07 is not available.

Nick Harvey: Detailed data of this nature is normally held only for the current year and the three prior financial years in accordance with the parliamentary authorised records disposal practice.

Food: Salt

Greg Knight: To ask the hon. Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission if the Commission will take steps to ensure that all House of Commons food outlets mark salt awareness week from 1 to 7 February 2010; and if he will make a statement.

Nick Harvey: The House of Commons Catering and Retail Services will be marking Salt Awareness Week from 1-7 February 2010 in the cafeterias by displaying notices publicising salt awareness week and reminding customers that, routinely, a lower sodium product is substituted for salt in the preparation of the dishes.

CULTURE MEDIA AND SPORT

Departmental Consultants

Julia Goldsworthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport 
	(1)  how much consultants employed by his Department and its agencies have been paid  (a) in total and  (b) in reimbursable expenses in each of the last 10 years;
	(2)  how many consultants his Department and its agency employed in each of the last 10 years; and how many hours were worked by such consultants for his Department and its agencies in each such year.

Si�n Simon: The number of consultancy firms used by the Department, and by the Royal Parks, and the total associated cost, is set out in the table. The information for the Royal Parks includes all forms of consultancy, including arboriculture and ecology. Information on the number of consultants engaged, and the hours worked, is not available. Information on reimbursable expenses could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
	
		
			   DCMS  Royal Parks 
			  Financial year  Number of consultancy firms engaged  Spend (£000)  Number of  consultancy firms  Spend (£000) 
			 2008-09 17 1,220 107 111 
			 2007-08 15 1,163 95 883 
			 2006-07 13 886 65 834 
			 2005-06 9 1,161 74 574 
			 2004-05 16 644 75 626 
			 2003-04 7 474 75 566 
			 2002-03 6 469 39 632 
			 2001-02 2 318 52 496 
			 2000-01 7 194 50 558 
			 1999-2000 (1)n/a 588 (1)n/a 596 
			 (1) Information for this year is not available.

Departmental Housing

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many  (a) empty and  (b) occupied residential properties his Department owns; and what recent estimate he has made of the (i) potential annual rental and (ii) total book value of those (A) empty and (B) occupied residential properties.

Si�n Simon: The Department owns five occupied residential properties in Windsor. Three of the properties were last valued at £35,000 each. Two of the properties are recorded in the departmental accounts with a token value of 1p.

Departmental Incentives

Vincent Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport pursuant to the answer of 30 November 2009,  Official Report, columns 375-76W, on departmental pay, how many and what proportion of staff of his Department received both an annual performance bonus and an in-year bonus in 2008-09; what the largest combined bonus payment to an individual was; what proportion of staff received no bonus; and who was responsible for awarding such bonuses.

Si�n Simon: The number and proportion of employees receiving both a year end and in year non-consolidated performance payment is set out in the following table, along with the largest combined payment and the proportion of employees not receiving a payment.
	
		
			   Number/proportion/payment 
			 Number of employees receiving both in year and year non-consolidated payments in 2008-09 64 
			 This number as a proportion of total headcount (percentage) 14 
			 The largest combined non-consolidated payment paid to an individual in 2008-09 (£) 3,500 
			 The proportion of staff not receiving a non-consolidated performance payment in 2008-09 (percentage) 30 
		
	
	Decisions on who receives non-consolidated performance payments are made through a series of committees chaired by the relevant head of directorate, or a director general. Decisions are based on written recommendations made by the employee's line manager as part of the annual performance assessment.

Museums and Galleries: Finance

Jeremy Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport pursuant to the answer of 25 January 2010,  Official Report, column 536W, how much of the funding for the  (a) British Film Institute National Film Centre,  (b) British Museum World Conservation and Exhibition Centre,  (c) British Library Newspaper Archive and  (d) new Stonehenge Visitor Centre will be allocated in (i) 2009-10 and (ii) 2010-11.

Si�n Simon: holding answer 29 January 2010
	Based on the projects' most recent spending profiles, the Department is currently expecting to fund the following amounts in each year:
	
		
			  £ 
			   2009-10  2010-11 
			  (a) British Film Institute National Film Centre 500,000 1,600,000 
			  (b) British Museum World Conservation and Exhibition Centre 3,500,000 3,000,000 
			  (c) British Library Newspaper Archive 4,500,000 9,300,000 
			  (d) Stonehenge Visitor's Centre 1,465,000 7,167,000

National Lottery: Bexley

David Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many organisations in the London borough of Bexley received grants from each different funding programme of the Big Lottery Fund in each of the last five years.

Si�n Simon: The information requested is not held by the Department and relates to matters that are the responsibility of the Big Lottery Fund.
	Accordingly, I have asked the chief executive of the Big Lottery Fund to write direct to the hon. Member for Bexleyheath and Crayford.
	Copies of the reply will be placed in the Libraries of both Houses.

Parliamentary Questions

Hugh Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport with reference to the answer of 10 October 2008,  Official Report, column 51W, on sports: finance, and pursuant to the answer of 25 January 2010,  Official Report, column 540W, on sports: National Lottery, for what reason the information requested in the question tabled on 19 January 2010 is not held by his Department.

Si�n Simon: The detailed information requested is not held by this Department, but by the Big Lottery Fund.
	Where Members request information that is held by the Department's sponsored bodies it is often not possible to respond to the timescales set out by parliamentary protocol. In order to respond quickly to Members, and ensure consistency, we ask the chief executives of the bodies in question to reply direct to the Member who tabled the question.
	The Department then arranges for copies of the answer to be placed in the Libraries of both Houses.

COMMUNITIES AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT

Airports: Planning Permission

James Duddridge: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government 
	(1)  what public inquiries have been instigated as a result of an Article 14 direction on a planning submission for aviation projects in each of the last five years;
	(2)  how many representations he has received requesting the planning application to extend London Southend Airport to be called in under an Article 14 direction;
	(3)  how many times he has issued an Article 14 direction  (a) in total and  (b) for planning applications for airports; and how many such applications in each case have been called in in each of the last five years.

John Healey: The purpose of issuing an Article 14 Direction is to enable the Secretary of State to consider whether to call-in a particular planning application for his own determination. There is therefore no public inquiry procedure associated with it as such an inquiry would only follow if the Secretary of State subsequently decided to call-in the application.
	The Secretary of State received 77 requests for the planning application in respect of Southend Airport to be called-in for his determination.
	A total of 878 Article 14 Directions have been issued over the period from 1 January 2005 to 31 January 2010, of which three related to planning applications for airports. Of these, one airport-related application was subsequently called in. The following table gives the breakdown requested:
	
		
			  Calendar year  All cases where Article 14 issued  Cases subsequently called in  Airport related cases Article 14 issued  Airport related cases subsequently called in 
			 2005 221 49 0 0 
			 2006 145 34 0 0 
			 2007 366 13 1 0 
			 2008 77 19 1 1 
			 2009-31 January 2010 69 13 2 0 
			 Total 878 128 4 1

Community Development: Coventry

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what steps the Government has taken in respect of community development in Coventry in the last 12 months.

Barbara Follett: The Department has worked with Coventry city council to support activities around building stronger and more cohesive communities within Coventry under the following programmes:
	Connecting Communities which aims to reinvigorate and connect with those communities that are feeling the pressure from recession most acutely.
	Advancing Assets for Communities which supports and strengthens public-third sector partnerships concerned with progressing the transfer of assets from local authority ownership and control to communities.
	New Deal for Communities which aims to: reduce worklessness; reduce crime; improve health; improve skills; improve housing and the physical environment; and strengthen communities. Coventry New Deal for Communities aims to deliver sustainable resident-led regeneration in the wards of Wood End, Henley and Manor Farm.

Community Development: Coventry

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much the Government has spent on Government services delivered locally in Coventry in the last 12 months.

Barbara Follett: The Department does not hold data on how much has been spent in the last 12 months on Government services in Coventry.

Council Tax

Julia Goldsworthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what targets his Department has set for local authorities on the  (a) administration and  (b) collection of council tax.

Barbara Follett: holding answer 29 January 2010
	No targets are set for  (a) the administration and  (b) the collection of council tax. These are matters for individual local authorities. Between 1997-98 and 2008-09, the average collection rate in England has increased from 95.5 per cent. to 97.0 per cent.

Departmental Public Consultation

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many citizens' juries or summits have been hosted by his Department since October 2008; on what date each event took place; and which Ministers were present at each event.

Barbara Follett: None.

Fire Services

Jim Cousins: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many firefighters have been trained in decontamination techniques to help the general public since 2002; how many protective suits are available in each fire authority area; what expenditure has been incurred on such  (a) training and  (b) suits in each year since 2002; and how much is planned for 2009-10.

Shahid Malik: A census conducted by the National Audit Office in 2008 estimated that 7,653 firefighters were trained in mass decontamination. The Department has also provided training materials to every FRS to ensure that all firefighters, some 50,000, have received awareness training regarding CBRN (chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear) incidents.
	CLG's New Dimension project has also supplied two types of protective suits: Gas Tight Suits (GTS) and Powered Respirator Protective Suits (PRPS), the number and location of which are indicated in the following table:
	
		
			  Number 
			  Fire and rescue service  GTS  PRPS( 1) 
			 Avon Fire and Rescue Service 40 22 
			 Bedfordshire and Luton Fire and Rescue Service 36 18 
			 Buckinghamshire Fire and Rescue Service 36 18 
			 Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service 36 18 
			 Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service 72 36 
			 Cleveland Fire and Rescue Service 40 22 
			 Cornwall Fire and Rescue Service 72 36 
			 County Durham and Darlington Fire and Rescue Service 36 18 
			 Cumbria Fire and Rescue Service 36 18 
			 Derbyshire Fire and Rescue Service 72 36 
			 Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service 108 54 
			 Dorset Fire and Rescue Service 36 18 
			 East Sussex Fire and Rescue Service 36 18 
			 Essex County Fire and Rescue Service 36 18 
			 Gloucestershire Fire and Rescue Service 36 18 
			 Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service 76 40 
			 Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service 40 22 
			 Hereford and Worcester Fire and Rescue Service 72 36 
			 Hertfordshire Fire and Rescue Service 36 18 
			 Humberside Fire and Rescue Service 40 22 
			 Isle of Wight Fire and Rescue Service 36 9 
			 Isles of Scilly Fire and Rescue Service 20 - 
			 Kent Fire and Rescue Service 76 40 
			 Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service 72 36 
			 Leicestershire Fire and Rescue Service 40 22 
			 Lincolnshire Fire and Rescue Service 36 18 
			 London Fire and Planning Authority 368 188 
			 Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service 40 22 
			 Norfolk Fire and Rescue Service 36 18 
			 Northamptonshire Fire and Rescue Service 36 18 
			 Northumberland Fire and Rescue Service 36 18 
			 North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service 36 18 
			 Nottinghamshire Fire and Rescue Service 36 18 
			 Oxfordshire Fire and Rescue Service 40 22 
			 Royal Berkshire Fire and Rescue Service 36 18 
			 Shropshire Fire and Rescue Service 36 18 
			 South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue 40 22 
			 Staffordshire Fire and Rescue Service 76 40 
			 Suffolk Fire and Rescue Service 36 18 
			 Surrey Fire and Rescue Service 40 22 
			 Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service 40 22 
			 Warwickshire Fire and Rescue Service 36 18 
			 West Midlands Fire and Rescue Service 112 58 
			 West Sussex Fire and Rescue Service 36 18 
			 West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service 40 22 
			 Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service 36 18 
			 Total 2,464 1,247 
			 (1 )This figure includes 195 PRPS for training purposes.   Note:  Numbers of spare GTS and PRPS located centrally are not included in this table. 
		
	
	Funding given to FRSs for mass decontamination training is outlined in the second following table:
	
		
			  Funding provided to FRSs for Mass Decontamination Training 
			   £ 
			 2002-03 - 
			 2003-04 - 
			 2004-05 2,639,400 
			 2005-06 2,310,000 
			 2006-07 2,528,015 
			 2007-08 2,320,000 
			 2008-09 2,366,400 
			 2009-10 2,412,860 
			 Total 14,576,675 
		
	
	The Department is unable to provide the overall cost specifically associated with the procurement of the GTS and PRPS but on average the cost of a GTS was around £560 per suit at the time of purchase in 2003-04 and the cost of PRPS, ordered from 2005-06 onwards, was approximately £880 per suit. Additionally, expenditure associated with the maintenance of the protective suits can not be separated out from other associated maintenance costs.

Fire Services: Finance

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government when he expects to announce his decision regarding the allocation of funding to fire and rescue authorities with regard to their statutory duties in respect of flooding.

Shahid Malik: Fire and rescue authorities do not have a statutory duty to respond to every type of emergency. Rather, they use their general power to respond to these emergencies, including flooding, under section 11 of the Fire and Rescue Services Act 2004. They use their local discretion in equipping themselves with the appropriate capabilities to meet the risks, such as flooding, identified through their local risk assessment processes, using the flexible funding arrangements of the Revenue Support Grant and their other resources.
	At the national level, this Department has provided the fire and rescue service with 46 high volume pumps, used to great effect during flooding, and funded associated training and maintenance.
	The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs has made up to £2 million available to carry out the Flood Rescue National Enhancement Project, which aims to enhance the current flood rescue capability. A strategy for how this money will be best used is being developed, and organisations, including the fire and rescue service, could potentially receive some future funding.

Flood Control: Finance

John Howell: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government which local authorities have made submissions to his Department for funding under the Bellwin Scheme as a result of the recent severe weather conditions; and what estimates have been provided of the amount each is likely to claim under the scheme.

Rosie Winterton: Two local authorities, City of York council and Herefordshire council, have registered an intention to claim Bellwin assistance as a result of the recent bad weather and North Yorkshire county council has expressed an interest in possibly making an application. No estimates have yet been provided of the amount each is likely to claim under the scheme.

Non-domestic Rates: Garages and Petrol Stations

Philip Dunne: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many petrol filling stations which are  (a) owned by (i) oil companies and (ii) major supermarket chains and  (b) independent provided evidence of rental value for the 2010 revaluation of non-domestic rates.

Barbara Follett: holding answer 28 January 2010
	A statistical breakdown on the ownership of petrol filling stations and category of person who provided evidence of rental value is not held centrally and cannot be obtained other than at disproportionate cost.

Non-domestic Rates: Valuation

Justine Greening: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government for what reasons the average rateable value of  (a) rugby league grounds,  (b) lifeboat stations,  (c) aquaria,  (d) arenas and  (e) conference and exhibition centres on the 2010 Rating List changed between 29 May 2009 and 18 December 2009.

Barbara Follett: holding answer 27 January 2010
	 : The Valuation Office Agency continues to maintain and update the live 2005 rating lists and the draft 2010 rating lists to ensure that all rateable values remain accurate. This may include some reclassification of hereditaments between property classes. Rateable values may change where there are material changes to the property or the locality, and there will also be new additions and deletions from rating lists. Rateable values may also change where the Valuation Office Agency receives new information or continues to hold discussions with ratepayers or their representatives. These discussions and amendments are done in an entirely open and transparent manner.

Planning Permission

Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what average period elapsed between each change to  (a) planning policy guidance and  (b) planning policy statements proposed to his Department in the last three years and the entry into force of the change.

Ian Austin: holding answer 29 January 2010
	Communities and Local Government receives very large numbers of proposals for changes to planning policy. These suggestions may be a response to a consultation, or simply volunteered ad hoc. The period between the arrival of a proposal and any appearance it may make in a policy statement is not susceptible to analysis.

Regional Planning and Development: North East

Jim Cousins: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much the Government has contributed through Bridging Newcastle Gateshead to costs for  (a) the strategic housing staff capacity of the City of Newcastle and  (b) (i) the EDAW consultancy and (ii) other consultancy costs incurred in (A) the preparation of the North Central Plan and (B) relation to the Benwell Scotswood Plan.

Ian Austin: Over the period 2006-07 to 2009-10 BNG has contributed £1,630,000 to the costs of strategic housing staff capacity of the city of Newcastle for the management and delivery of neighbourhood improvement projects.
	EDAW have received £360,262 for the area action plan in Scotswood.
	Lambert Smith Hampton received £200,000 for the preparation of the north central plan.
	The Benwell/Scotswood area action plan is the area action plan in Scotswood referred to above and there are no other relevant consultancy costs.

Regional Planning and Development: West Midlands

William Cash: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what requirements for aggregate extraction the West Midlands Regional Spatial Strategy places upon councils in (a) the West Midlands and  (b) Staffordshire.

Shahid Malik: The annual apportionment for sand and gravel for the period 2001-2016 as set out in the West Midlands Regional Spatial Strategy is 10.125 million tonnes, with Staffordshire contributing 6.602 million tonnes. The corresponding figures for crushed rock are 5.812 million tonnes and 1.395 million tonnes.
	The West Midlands Regional Assembly are currently considering the sub-regional apportionment for the period 2005 to 2020.

Regional Planning and Development: West Midlands

William Cash: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many houses local authorities in  (a) Staffordshire and  (b) the West Midlands are required to provide under the West Midlands Regional Spatial Strategy.

Shahid Malik: The West Midlands Regional Spatial Strategy (RSS) was last updated in January 2008. For the period 2007 to 2011, 15,280 homes (gross) are required to be built in the region each year, of which 2,500 are to be within the county of Staffordshire.
	The West Midlands Regional Assembly consulted on a draft replacement to the RSS in early 2008. The West Midlands RSS Phase 2 Preferred Option proposed 365,600 homes (net) for the region during the period 2006 to 2026 and 54,900 for Staffordshire. The indicative annual average is 18,280 for the region and 2,745 for Staffordshire.
	Between April and June 2009 an Examination in Public was held to consider the RSS Phase 2 Preferred Option. The panel reported in September 2009 and the Secretary of State's proposed changes are due to be published for consultation shortly.

Sleeping Rough

Fiona Mactaggart: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what his most recent estimate is of the number of street homeless people in England.

Ian Austin: In 1998 there were estimated to be 1,850 rough sleepers in England. Since then, as a result of the measures the Government have introduced, good progress has been made in reducing the total number of rough sleepers to 464 in 2009, based on local authority street counts.

Supermarkets: Planning Permission

Rosie Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what information his Department holds on the number of supermarkets which have applied for planning permission for the temporary erection of marquee or tent structures on their properties within the last three months.

Ian Austin: The Department does not hold this type of information.

Supermarkets: Planning Permission

Rosie Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many planning enforcement notices have been issued by his Department and local planning authorities to supermarkets in Lancashire and Merseyside in the last 12 months; and how many resulted in enforcement action.

Ian Austin: No enforcement notices have been issued by this Department. Although local planning authorities provide my Department with statistics about the number of enforcement notices issued, these statistics do not differentiate between different kinds of breaches of development control. Planning statistics are available on the Communities website at:
	http://www.communities.gov.uk/planningandbuilding/planningbuilding/planningstatistics/developmentcontrolstatistics/

Supermarkets: Planning Permission

Rosie Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what guidance his Department provides on whether the erection of temporary marquee or tent structures by supermarkets for the storage of goods requires planning permission.

Ian Austin: The Department has not issued guidance on whether planning permission is required for the erection of temporary marquee or tent structures by supermarkets for the storage of goods.

Temporary Accommodation: Sleeping Rough

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government 
	(1)  what estimate his Department has made of the number of local authorities which provided accommodation for rough sleepers in accordance with their obligations under severe weather emergency procedures during the recent cold weather conditions;
	(2)  what recent steps he has taken to monitor the implementation by local authorities of their obligations to rough sleepers under the severe weather emergency procedures; and if he will make a statement.

Ian Austin: I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave her on 19 January 2010,  Official Report, column 288W.

Tree Preservation Orders

Daniel Rogerson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the average time taken by the Planning Inspectorate was for dealing with complaints relating to tree appeals in the latest period for which figures are available.

Ian Austin: The average time taken for the Planning Inspectorate to reply to Tree Preservation Order Appeal complaints was 19 working days for complaints received in 2009. There were 56 complaints relating to Tree Preservation Order Appeals relating to 39 different appeals.

Tree Preservation Orders

Daniel Rogerson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the average time taken by the Planning Inspectorate was for dealing with fast track tree appeals in the latest period for which figures are available.

Ian Austin: The average time taken by the Planning Inspectorate for fast track tree appeals is 18 weeks, from receipt of the appeal to despatch of the decision. This figure is based on decisions issued under the fast track procedure between 1 April 2009 and 31 December 2009.

Waste Management: Planning Permission

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what recent guidance his Department has issued to planning authorities on handling planning applications for waste treatment plants.

Ian Austin: General guidance on handling all planning applications, including those for waste treatment plants, is set out in our 2004 statement General principles for the planning system.
	As part of the Government response to the Killian Pretty Review, we are currently consulting on a draft new Planning Policy Statement to provide a clear national policy framework for development management. This includes a draft policy annex on determination, and will replace the 2004 guidance.

Wind Power: Planning Permission

Roger Gale: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government with reference to the answer from the Minister of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, of 19 February 2008,  Official Report, column 559-60W, on wind power: noise, when he expects to announce permitted development rights and regulations in respect of small-scale wind generators.

Ian Austin: The Government are working to the timetables set out in the Green Energy (Definition and Promotion) Act 2009 for the introduction of permitted development rights for wind turbines. This Act came into force on 12 January 2010. It requires that, in England, the Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) Order 1995 be amended to provide for the grant of permitted development rights for domestic wind turbines within six months of the Act's coming into force. It also requires the Secretary of State to consider amending the Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) Order 1995 to facilitate the installation of microgeneration equipment on non-domestic land in England, with this consideration beginning within six months of the Act's coming into force.

INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Children: Protection

Richard Burden: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what plans his Department has to develop and implement a child protection strategy as part of its policies.

Michael Foster: Children and their rights are an integral part of our development strategies. The recent White Paper Eliminating World Poverty: Building Our Common Future includes commitments to launching a new Education for Development Strategy, which is forthcoming in early 2010. Universal primary education is a key strategy for addressing child protection issues.
	Through the AIDS strategy, Achieving Universal Access, published in 2008, the Department for International Development (DFID) restates its commitment to meeting the needs of orphans and vulnerable children. This includes the expansion of social protection programmes that provide effective and predictable support for the most vulnerable households, including those with children affected by AIDS, to ensure they have long term access to essential basic services and protection from abuse.
	DFID does not have plans to develop and implement a specific child protection strategy. DFID has an institutional strategy with UNICEF. This provides annual core funding to UNICEF of £21 million to support their mission to improve the lives of children, their families and communities, including programmes specifically focused on protecting children from violence, exploitation and abuse.

Children: Protection

Richard Burden: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment he has made of the contribution of the policies in his Department's White Paper to the realisation of children's rights.

Michael Foster: The Department for International Development's (DFID's) 2009 White Paper promotes the realisation of children's rights through a range of policies. These include:
	Launch of a nutrition strategy to integrate nutrition and food security, especially for women and young children.
	Launch of a new UK global education strategy, including a commitment to support 8 million children in school in Africa by 2010.
	Commitment to support 50 million poor people (including children) through social assistance and related measures.
	Disease prevention policies, including supporting the Global Alliance for Vaccines (GAVI) to secure a predictable funding base, supporting an Advanced Market Commitment for pneumococcal vaccines, and a commitment to deliver 10 million bed nets each year from 2010 to 2013.
	DFID assesses policies on a thematic basis. The timetable for forthcoming policy evaluations can be found in the publication Evaluation Department, Forward Work Programme 2009/10 and list of Evaluation topics proposed for 2010/12, which is available at:
	www.dfid.gov.uk

Children: Protection

Richard Burden: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many  (a) projects and  (b) programmes which contribute to enabling child rights his Department has funded in the last three years.

Michael Foster: The Department for International Development (DFID) supports the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) and works towards fulfilling children's rights through various means. Many DFID projects and programmes contribute to meeting the needs and rights of both children and adults and we do not track the number that contributes to enabling child rights as a separate category. Examples of DFID support that is enabling child rights include:
	Committing £8.5 billion for education from 2007-15.
	Working with multilateral agencies such as UNICEF. We have committed £55 million to UNICEF over five years to strengthen government capacity to realise child rights in India, including working with the government for child-friendly social policy.
	Working with and supporting civil society organisations such Plan UK (£7.1 million from 2009-11), Save the Children (£23.4 million from 2009-11) and Anti-Slavery International (£1.4 million from 2008-13).

Departmental Consultants

Julia Goldsworthy: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much consultants employed by his Department and its agencies have been paid  (a) in total and  (b) in reimbursable expenses in each of the last 10 years.

Michael Foster: The Department for International Development's (DFID's) expenditure on consultancy (as defined by central Government) is available from 2007-08 onwards. Consultancy expenditure prior to 2007-08 cannot be obtained without incurring disproportionate cost. The annual expenditure totals are provided in the following table:
	
		
			   Total expenditure (£) 
			 2007-08 21,200,000 
			 2008-09 20,700,000 
		
	
	Reimbursable expenses paid to consultants are not recorded centrally and would incur disproportionate cost to collate.

Departmental Manpower

Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many performance reviews were undertaken in respect of staff of his Department in each of the last five years; in how many cases performance was rated as unsatisfactory or below; how many staff left as a direct result of such a rating; and what percentage of full-time equivalent staff this represented.

Michael Foster: The Department for International Development (DFID) operates a continual appraisal process that requires a formal end of year performance review to be completed for all staff. For those who are considered to be performing least effectively(1), a range of support measures are set in place to help them improve their performance. Should these measures prove unsuccessful, then disciplinary action and ultimately dismissal, may occur.
	Figures set out in the following table, for the last four years for which comparable data is available, show the numbers of staff who were performing least effectively and the numbers of those staff who have since left DFID.
	(1) Performing least effectively is defined as follows: For members of the senior civil service (SCS), those receiving the lowest performance rating within a relative appraisal system (specified by the Cabinet Office). For staff in grades below the SCS, those assessed as most in need of development using DFID's own performance criteria.
	
		
			Staff performing least effectively  Staff performing least effectively who have since left DFID 
			   Number of staff( 1)  Number  Percentage  Number  Percentage 
			 2008-09 2,917 89 3.0 16 0.5 
			 2007-08 2,779 60 2.1 28 1.0 
			 2006-07 2,630 60 2.2 35 1.3 
			 2005-06 2,495 67 2.5 39 1.6 
			 (1) The total staff figures include HCS staff and those locally engaged by DFID overseas. 
		
	
	The data is not held in a format that allows a direct comparison to be made between those leaving as a direct result of their performance rating and those who may have left for other reasons.

Departmental Manpower

Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what estimate he has made of the proportion of staff of his Department managed out in the last five years who remain working in the public sector.

Michael Foster: The Department for International Development (DFID) has not exited any staff in transition over the past five years.

Departmental Publications

Greg Hands: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what publications his Department has produced for hon. Members to send to their constituents in each of the last three years; at what cost; and for what purpose.

Michael Foster: The Department for International Development (DFID) has published a wide variety of publications in the last three years to promote the work of the Department and raise awareness of international development, as well as to meet our statutory reporting requirements. None of these publications have been expressly produced for hon. Members to send to their constituents.

Haiti: Earthquakes

Lindsay Roy: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what his most recent assessment is of the humanitarian situation in Haiti; and if he will make a statement.

Michael Foster: This is a human tragedy of enormous proportions. For the survivors, conditions have been desperate and remain so for many. However co-ordination of the relief effort is improving and responding well to the humanitarian needs of the population.
	Our most recent assessment of the humanitarian situation, shared by the UN, is that priority areas for assistance are now shelter, sanitation and food. Two emergency response field hospitals departed from Haiti on 27 January as priority health care needs have now shifted to post-operative and primary health.
	An update on the United Kingdom's own relief effort was provided in the written ministerial statement by the Secretary of State (Mr. Alexander) on 25 January 2010,  Official Report, column 42WS.

Human Rights: Children

Richard Burden: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if he will incorporate child rights situational analysis into his Department's  (a) country governance analysis and  (b) country assistance plans.

Michael Foster: The Department for International Development's (DFID) Country Planning process requires a mandatory Country Governance Analysis (CGA). CGAs provide the UK with an overview analysis of the political, conflict, economic and social context of our partner countries. CGAs are drawn up using a variety of analytical tools, including social exclusion analysis, which incorporates an examination of the status of child rights. The situation of child rights in our partner countries is also considered in the design stages of DFID sectoral programmes, in particular for education and health support.

TRANSPORT

A14

Norman Baker: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what estimate he has made of the cost of constructing a new dual carriageway between Ellington and Fen Drayton as part of the A14 improvement work.

Chris Mole: The A14 Ellington to Fen Ditton improvement scheme is a very large road project. In managing the costs of the project the Highways Agency follows good practice-for example by making use of range estimates and allowing for risks in the delivery of the programme, and by ensuring individual elements of the project are co-ordinated most effectively as part of the whole scheme.
	This means that it is not possible to be precise about the cost of individual elements of the scheme viewed in isolation. But we estimate that the cost of constructing a new dual carriageway between Ellington and Fen Ditton within the current range forecast for the A14 Ellington to Fen Ditton improvement project is approximately £342 million to £470 million, if land costs and risk allowances across the project are calculated on a pro rata basis.

A14

Norman Baker: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what estimate he has made of the cost of widening the A1 to three lanes in each direction between the new Brampton interchange and the existing junction at Brampton Hut as part of the A14 improvement work.

Chris Mole: The A14 Ellington to Fen Ditton improvement scheme is a very large road project. In managing the costs of the project the Highways Agency follows good practice-for example by making use of range estimates and allowing for risks in the delivery of the programme, and by ensuring individual elements of the project are co-ordinated most effectively as part of the whole scheme.
	This means that it is not possible to be precise about the cost of individual elements of the scheme viewed in isolation. But we estimate that the cost of widening the A1 to three lanes in each direction between the new Brampton interchange and the existing junction at Brampton Hut within the current range forecast for the A14 Ellington to Fen Ditton improvement project is approximately £13 million to £17 million, if land costs and risk allowances across the project are calculated on a pro rata basis.

A14

Norman Baker: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what estimate he has made of the cost of the demolition of the Huntingdon Railway viaduct as part of the A14 improvement work.

Chris Mole: The A14 Ellington to Fen Ditton improvement scheme is a very large road project. In managing the costs of the project the Highways Agency follows good practice-for example by making use of range estimates and allowing for risks in the delivery of the programme, and by ensuring individual elements of the project are co-ordinated most effectively as part of the whole scheme.
	This means that it is not possible to be precise about the cost of individual elements of the scheme viewed in isolation. But we estimate that the cost of demolishing the Huntingdon Railway Viaduct within the current range forecast for the A14 Ellington to Fen Ditton improvement project is approximately £15.5 million to £21.3 million, if land costs and risk allowances across the project are calculated on a pro rata basis.

A14

Norman Baker: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what estimate he has made of the cost of improving local roads in Huntingdon following the demolition of the Huntingdon Railway viaduct as part of the A14 improvement work.

Chris Mole: The A14 Ellington to Fen Ditton improvement scheme is a very large road project. In managing the costs of the project the Highways Agency follows good practice-for example by making use of range estimates and allowing for risks in the delivery of the programme, and by ensuring individual elements of the project are co-ordinated most effectively as part of the whole scheme.
	This means that it is not possible to be precise about the cost of individual elements of the scheme viewed in isolation. But we estimate that the cost of alterations to the local road network in Huntingdon within the current range forecast for the A14 Ellington to Fen Ditton improvement project is approximately £13 million to £17 million, if land costs and risk allowances across the project are calculated on a pro rata basis.

A14

Norman Baker: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what estimate he has made of the cost of widening the Huntingdon to Brampton Road following the demolition of the Huntingdon Railway viaduct as part of the A14 improvement work.

Chris Mole: The works proposed within Huntingdon as part of the A14 Ellington to Fen Ditton improvement do not require the widening of Brampton Road.

A14

Norman Baker: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what estimate he has made of the cost of noise mitigation measures to be implemented along the A1 at Brampton as part of the A14 improvement work.

Chris Mole: The A14 Ellington to Fen Ditton improvement scheme is a very large road project. In managing the costs of the project the Highways Agency follows good practice-for example by making use of range estimates and allowing for risks in the delivery of the programme, and by ensuring individual elements of the project are co-ordinated most effectively as part of the whole scheme.
	This means that it is not possible to be precise about the cost of individual elements of the scheme viewed in isolation. But we estimate that the cost of noise mitigation measures proposed along the A1 at Brampton within the current range forecast for the A14 Ellington to Fen Ditton improvement project is approximately £1.5 million to £2 million. This is included in the estimate for the widening of this section to three lanes.

Aviation: Fuels

Norman Baker: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what restrictions apply to the jettisoning of aviation fuel over  (a) British and  (b) international waters.

Paul Clark: Article 129 of the Air Navigation Order 2009 prohibits aircraft flying over the United Kingdom from the dropping of articles to the surface unless permission has been given by the Civil Aviation Authority. However, the jettisoning of fuel in the case of an emergency is exempted from this requirement. The decision to jettison rests solely with the pilot but he may request guidance from air traffic control regarding where best to jettison the fuel. The pilot will be advised to fuel jettison at above 10,000 feet above ground level and away from cities and towns, preferably over water, where this is possible.
	There are no specific requirements covering the jettisoning of fuel over international waters.

Aviation: Fuels

Norman Baker: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport how much fuel was jettisoned by aircraft while in the air on  (a) outward journeys from and  (b) inward journeys to Great Britain, in the last year for which figures are available.

Paul Clark: Fuel jettisoning will only take place in an emergency when an aircraft needs to lose weight in order for it to reach its maximum landing weight. In the 12 months from 1 November 2008 to 31 October 2009 the Civil Aviation Authority received 18 reports of aircraft jettisoning fuel. 17 of the aircraft concerned were outbound from the UK when they had to make emergency landings. The other aircraft was inbound. The CAA does not record the amount of fuel jettisoned.

Bus Services: Concessions

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport how much his Department has contributed towards concessionary fares on bus services in  (a) Test Valley borough,  (b) Southampton City and  (c) the ceremonial county of Hampshire in each of the last five years.

Sadiq Khan: The Department for Transport has provided concessionary travel special grant funding of:
	 (a) £225,335 in 2008-09 and £230,649 in 2009-10 to Test Valley borough council;
	 (b) £1,059,068 in 2008-09 and £1,084,046 in 2009-10 to Southampton city council;
	 (c) A total of £4,943,603 in 2008-09 and £5,060,197 in 2009-10 to the Travel Concession Authorities in the ceremonial county of Hampshire.
	The special grant funding is solely to cover the extra costs of providing England-wide travel since April 2008. Communities and Local Government (CLG) continues to provide the bulk of concessionary travel funding to local authorities through Formula Grant. Before 1 April 2008, funding for the statutory minimum bus concession was provided exclusively through the Formula Grant system.

Bus Services: Concessions

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what percentage of bus journeys in  (a) Test Valley borough,  (b) Southampton City and  (c) the ceremonial county of Hampshire were made on concessionary fares in each of the last five years.

Sadiq Khan: Concessionary trip statistics have been collected from bus operators only since 2007-08. Revised figures for 2007-08 are planned for publication, alongside 2008-09 data, not later than June 2010. This date is later than would normally have been the case as a result of the development of new estimation methodologies that are being applied across a broad range of bus statistics.
	However, it is not always possible to publish bus patronage statistics for individual Travel Concessionary Authority areas due to commercial confidentiality obligations to local bus operators.

Diesel Vehicles: Exhaust Emissions

Colin Challen: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what steps he is taking to reduce diesel carbon particulates emitted from  (a) Government and  (b) private sector vehicles.

Sadiq Khan: The Government have supported adoption of stringent European emissions standards for new vehicles. The forthcoming Euro 5 emissions standards for cars and vans, and Euro VI emissions standards for lorry and bus engines, will ensure that diesel particle emissions are reduced by more than 99 per cent. relative to current diesel vehicles.
	In addition the Treasury are encouraging the early uptake of Euro 5 vans by means of a vehicle excise duty incentive. They also plan to introduce incentives to encourage the early uptake of Euro VI lorries and buses in due course.
	EU Directive 2009/33/EC requires local authorities, operators of public transport services and public bodies to take account of the energy consumption and environmental impacts of vehicles, including particle emissions, in their procurement processes. The Department is currently consulting on implementation of this directive, which is due to come into force in December 2010, and on draft guidance to assist public bodies in complying.

East Coast Railway Line

John Mann: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what changes he expects to be made to East Coast Main Line passenger rail services between Retford and London in May 2010 in respect of  (a) daytime service frequency,  (b) the number of services from Retford arriving in London before 10 am,  (c) the latest direct train to leave London for Retford on (i) weekdays and (ii) Saturdays,  (d) services at peak commuter hours,  (e) services on Saturday evenings and  (f) the overall number of services operated.

Chris Mole: For May 2010, there is no material change to the weekday timetable for trains serving Retford. There may be changes to weekend timings because there are significant engineering works planned for the southern part of the route.
	There is a major timetable change planned for May 2011 on the East Coast Main Line. The timetable is currently subject to consultation and further development, by the current operator, East Coast.
	The number of services to and from London each day will remain broadly similar to today, although it is planned to have later services from London on Saturdays.

Immobilisation of Vehicles: Local Authorities

David Amess: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport which local authorities in England and Wales use immobilisation as part of their parking enforcement activities; under what legislation this is regulated; and if he will make a statement.

Sadiq Khan: All local authorities that have applied for and been given the power to enforce parking under the Traffic Management Act 2004 have the power to immobilise vehicles. No record is kept centrally of which local authorities use that power.
	The provisions and power to immobilise illegally parked vehicles are set out in section 79 of the Traffic Management Act and two sets of regulations made under the Act: The Civil Enforcement of Parking Contraventions (England) General Regulations 2007 (SI 2007 no 3483) and The Civil Enforcement of Parking Contraventions (England) Representations and Appeals Regulations 2007 (SI 2007 no 3482). Under the General Regulations, there is a general power to immobilise vehicles which have been served with a penalty charge notice. A penalty charge notice can only be issued in respect of parking contraventions for the purposes of this power.
	The Secretary of State's statutory guidance to local authorities on the civil enforcement of parking contraventions is that immobilisation should be used in limited circumstances, such as where the same vehicle repeatedly breaks parking restrictions and it has not been possible to collect payment for penalties.

Railways: North West

Ben Wallace: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what plans he has to reduce railway journey times between London and  (a) Lancaster,  (b) Preston and  (c) Crewe.

Chris Mole: Journey times have already been significantly reduced. The recently modernised and resignalled West Coast Main Line has delivered far more 125 mph operation across the route bringing more capacity and faster journeys for millions of passengers.
	Average journey times from Lancaster and Preston to London were reduced by half an hour to 2 hours 24 minutes and 2 hours 8 minutes respectively. The fastest London to Preston train now completes the journey in a very attractive two hours.
	The fastest trains from Crewe now reach London Euston in 90 minutes, a journey time reduction of 15 minutes.

Railways: Standards

Norman Baker: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what has been the average length of delay for trains classified as late in each of the last 10 years in respect of  (a) short distance and  (b) long distance journeys; and what percentage of delays in each such year have been the responsibility of (i) Network Rail and (ii) a train operating company and (iii) another organisation.

Chris Mole: holding answer 29 January 2010
	The Department for Transport does not hold information on average length of delay broken down by short distance and long distance journeys.
	The percentage of delays for the last seven years for which data are available is shown in the following table for (i) Network Rail, (ii) Train Operating Companies (TOCs) to themselves and (iii) delays to TOCs caused by other TOCs. The Department does not hold these data prior to the last seven years.
	
		
			  MAA percentage share of total industry delay minutes incurred by major passenger operators 
			  Percentage 
			   (i) Network Rail delay  (ii) TOC on self delay  (iii) TOC on TOC by victim delay 
			 2002-03 55 34 12 
			 2003-04 55 33 13 
			 2004-05 51 36 13 
			 2005-06 53 34 13 
			 2006-07 57 32 11 
			 2007-08 59 30 12 
			 2008-09 58 30 12 
			  Source: NPPR at Period 13. 
		
	
	Network Rail is responsible for performance data for the rail industry. The hon. Gentleman may wish to contact Network Rail's Chief Executive at the following address for such information:
	Iain Coucher
	Chief Executive
	Network Rail
	Kings Place
	90 York Way
	London
	N1 9AG.

Roads: Coventry

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what steps the Government has taken to maintain roads serving Coventry in the last 12 months.

Sadiq Khan: Maintenance of local authority roads in Coventry is a matter for Coventry council.
	As part of the Local Transport Plan settlement, the Department for Transport provides capital funding for highways maintenance to local highway authorities. In 2008-09, the allocation to Coventry was £1.704 million, and in 2009-10 it is £1.874 million. In addition, the council may use revenue support grant provided by the Department for Communities and Local Government for highways maintenance.
	Through the provision of advice, the Department has supported the procurement phase of Coventry's private finance initiative project to renew its street lighting.
	The Highways Agency has two trunk roads in the area, parts of which pass through or are very close to the city of Coventry: the A45 between the A46 and M45 and the A46 between the Kenilworth bypass and M6. The following major maintenance schemes have been carried out over the last 12 months:
	1. A45/A46 interchange at Stivichall (Festival Island)-carriageway resurfacing.
	2. A45/A46 interchange at Stivichall (Festival Island) bridge expansion joint installation.
	3. A45 carriageway renewal scheme between Memorial Island (A45/B4455 roundabout) and Ryton on Dunsmore-currently under way.
	These schemes are in addition to the ongoing normal routine maintenance programme, which includes such duties as grass cutting, drain and debris clearance and minor carriageway repair; and the winter maintenance programme including gritting and snow clearance, as required.

Roads: Greater Manchester

Stephen Hammond: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport with reference to the Minister of State's announcement of 14 July 2009 of a £45 million cash injection for Greater Manchester's road network, from which budget within his Department this sum will be spent.

Sadiq Khan: The Greater Manchester Highway Retaining Walls major maintenance scheme was recommended for funding by the North West Region from their Regional Funding Allocation. The Department for Transport has provided funding provision for the scheme from its local authority major schemes budget.
	The Department will provide £40.5 million and the promoting local authorities will provide £4.5 million.

Roads: Repairs and Maintenance

Lindsay Roy: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what plans he has to improve major arterial roads; and if he will make a statement.

Chris Mole: In January 2009 the Secretary of State announced a £6 billion programme of investment in the most important sections of the Strategic Road Network in England. In total, this programme consists of 29 schemes that will deliver over 520 additional lane miles on the main network. Copies of the announcement are available in the Library, and can be found online at the Department's website.
	In addition to this, the Highways Agency delivers a range of schemes on regionally significant strategic roads. The most recent of these is the A46 between Newark and Widmerpool in the east midlands. Overall, the Highways Agency will spend £300 million on regional schemes this year.
	Beyond the information provided on the Highways Agency national and regional schemes, most local roads that serve an arterial function are managed by local highway authorities. Improvements to these routes can be either funded through the Integrated Transport Block Settlement which the Department allocates to local authorities for schemes costing under £5 million or through the respective Regional Funding Allocation.
	Schemes in Scotland and Wales are handled by the Devolved Administrations.

Roads: Snow and Ice

Mark Hunter: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what consideration his Department has given to the effects on the environment of the use of  (a) grit and  (b) salt to remedy the effects of cold weather conditions on the roads.

Sadiq Khan: The Department for Transport endorses 'Well-maintained Highways', the code of practice for highway maintenance management published by the UK Roads Liaison Group.
	The section on winter service in this code includes guidance on the storage and spreading of salt and grit used in severe weather, to ensure that damage to the environment is kept to a minimum.
	The use of salt to treat the road network to help prevent the formation of ice and build up of snow is acknowledged as the only viable wide scale treatment option. Notwithstanding this, the Highways Agency has recognised the potential impact of salt on the environment and this was part of its consideration in adopting the pre-wet salt application technique, within its new winter vehicle fleet. Due to its greater application accuracy, up to 25 per cent. less salt can be used to treat the network helping to minimise the environmental impact of winter maintenance activities.

Roads: Snow and Ice

Ben Chapman: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what representations his Department has received from  (a) local authorities and  (b) Royal Mail on the condition of road surfaces following the severe weather conditions in January 2010.

Sadiq Khan: The Department for Transport and Government regional offices have received six formal representations from local authorities about the condition of road surfaces following the severe weather conditions so far this winter. They are from Sheffield city council, North Yorkshire county council, North Tyneside Council, Southend-on-Sea borough council, Herefordshire council and Darlington borough council.
	The Department has also received a representation from the Local Government Association.
	Another authority, Peterborough city council, has contacted the consultants who have been engaged by the Department to advise authorities on preparation of claims under its emergency capital highway maintenance funding scheme.
	No representations have been received from Royal Mail.

Safety Belts: Young People

David Amess: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport pursuant to the answer of 6 January 2010,  Official Report, column 326W, on driving: young people, if he will place in the Library a copy of the research to which the answer referred; and if he will make a statement.

Paul Clark: The research referred to is Road Safety Research Report 98 Strapping Yarns: Why People Do And Do Not Wear Seat Belts published in November 2008. The report is available on the Department for Transport's website at the following link:
	http://www.dft.gov.uk/pgr/roadsafety/research/rsrr/theme5/reportno98.pdf
	a copy has been placed in the Libraries of the House.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

Afghanistan: Reconstruction

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the answer of 5 January 2010,  Official Report, column 182W, on Afghanistan: reconstruction, what the purpose of the Support to Informal Justice System project is; for what reason his Department decided to fund the project; how much it received from his Department in its first year of operation; for what reason its funding was reduced in 2009-10; and how much it has received from his Department in that year to date.

Ivan Lewis: Justice and security are key pre-requisites for stabilising local communities in Helmand and laying the ground for strong governance. The security environment is not permissive for the formal justice sector to operate in a meaningful way outside of the provincial capital. It has been estimated that approximately 95 per cent. of all disputes in Helmand are resolved without formal justice institutions: by community leaders, local government, elders or religious leaders. My Department thus supports the Informal Justice Sector in order to increase access to a basic justice service for the Afghan population living in Helmand's districts, and to provide an alternative to the Taliban 'service' in the area of justice and dispute resolution.
	The project received £222,438 in the financial year 2008-09 and was allocated £89,707 for 2009-10. Funding in the second year was reduced for a number of reasons:
	(a) Increasing Afghanisation of the project, particularly in the districts.
	(b) Equipment purchased in FY 2008-09 did not need to be replaced in FY 2009-10.
	(c) Educational courses run in 2008-09 were not repeated in 2009-10.
	(d) An overall underspend in FY 2008-09.
	There is evidence that local communities are using these services to resolve disputes and that these mechanisms can successfully work with the formal justice system. Learning from these projects has been part of UK support to the Afghan Government in developing a national policy on traditional justice.

British Overseas Territories

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many visits he has made to UK overseas territories in the last 12 months; and what the purpose was of each such visit.

Chris Bryant: I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave him on 18 January 2010,  Official Report, column 100W.

Colombia: EU External Trade

Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with  (a) his Colombian counterpart and  (b) his EU counterparts on a free trade agreement with Colombia.

Chris Bryant: My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary has not discussed the EU-Colombia Multi Party Agreement with his EU counterparts. He raised the issue in a meeting with the Colombian Foreign Minister in December 2009, reiterating the importance to the UK of linking a free trade agreement to improvements in the human rights situation.
	I have held several informal discussions on this issue with my EU counterparts recently. In January this year I also raised it with Adriana Mejia, the Colombian Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs pointing out the UK requirement for a robust human rights clause that would enable suspension of the agreement if the terms of the clause are breached. This clause will also act as the catalyst for frank dialogue with Colombia on human rights issues going forward. I also talked about it in the margins of the London Conference on Afghanistan with the Colombian Foreign Minister, Jaime Bermudez, with whom I discussed the situation facing Liliana Obando.

Colombia: Human Rights

Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with his Colombian counterpart on human rights in Colombia.

Chris Bryant: Earlier this month, I met Adriana Mejia, the Colombian Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs with responsibility for the Human Rights portfolio. I took the opportunity to welcome Colombia's comprehensive response to their voluntary Universal Periodic Review of Human Rights from December 2008. However, I also raised the UK's continued concerns on a number of areas, including the existence and implementation of the law of rebellion which leads to allegations of political prisoners. I also expressed regret at the recent release of those charged with the Soacha extrajudicial killings. Impunity is a serious problem in Colombia and I welcomed the statements from President Uribe expressing concern at the judicial system following the release. We also discussed the negotiations for the Free Trade Agreement between the EU and Colombia.
	I also talked about the human rights situation in Colombia in the margins of the London Conference on Afghanistan with the Colombian Foreign Minister, Jaime Bermudez, with whom I discussed the situation facing Liliana Obando.

Departmental Manpower

Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many performance reviews were undertaken in respect of staff of  (a) his Department and  (b) its agencies in each of the last five years; in how many cases performance was rated as unsatisfactory or below; how many staff left as a direct result of such a rating; and what percentage of full-time equivalent staff this represented.

Chris Bryant: All staff are appraised annually. Where performance is rated unsatisfactory at any point in the appraisal period, performance improvement procedures are followed. In almost all cases, implementation of these procedures results in full improvement of performance. From 2005 to 27 January 2010, 89 staff from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) and FCO Services have been through performance improvement procedures. As this lead to fewer than five dismissals, in line with Cabinet Office guidance, details are not provided to avoid revealing the identity of individuals and on grounds of confidentiality.

Departmental Manpower

Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what estimate he has made of the proportion of staff of  (a) his Department and  (b) its agencies managed out in the last five years who remain working in the public sector.

Chris Bryant: This information is not available to us. We do not keep records of where people are employed once they leave the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.

EC External Relations

Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs to which EU Common Positions the Government subscribes; on what date the Government subscribed to each; and on what date each such position is due to expire.

Chris Bryant: holding answer 29 January 2010
	The following table sets out the Common Positions (CPs) to which the Government have subscribed in the context of the EU Common Foreign and Security Policy.
	
		
			  Common Position (CP)  Date agreed  Date of expiry 
			 Common Position 2006/276/CFSP concerning restrictive measures against certain officials of Belarus and repealing CP 2008/844/CFSP 10 April 2006 31 October 2010 
			 Common Position 2006/318/CFSP renewing restrictive measures against Burma 27 April 2006 30 April 2010 
			 Common Position on Cuba 15 June 2009 15 June 2010 
			 Common Position 2006/795/CFSP concerning restrictive measures against the Democratic People's Republic of Korea 20 November 2006 None 
			 Common Position amending CP 2008/369/CFSP concerning restrictive measures against the Democratic Republic of Congo 14 May 2008 30 April 2010 
			 Common Position 2004/694/CFSP renewing measures in support of the effective implementation of the mandate of ICTY 11 October 2004 10 October 2010 
			 Common Position 2007/140/CFSP concerning restrictive measures against Iran 27 February 2007 None 
			 Common Position 2008/873/CFSP renewing the restrictive measures against Ivory Coast 18 November 2008 None 
			 Common Position 2008/109/CFSP Concerning restrictive measures imposed against Liberia 12 February 2008 None 
			 Common Position 2004/133/CFSP renewing restrictive measures against extremists in FYROM 10 February 2004 None 
			 Common Position renewing restrictive measures against the leadership of the Transnistrian region of the Republic of Moldova 25 February 2008 27 February 2010 
			 Common Position defined by the Council on the basis of Article J.2 of the Treaty on European Union concerning Sierra Leone 29 June 1998 None 
			 Common Position concerning restrictive measures against Somalia and repealing CP 2002/960/CFSP 16 February 2009 27 February 2010 
			 Common Position 2005/411/CFSP concerning restrictive measures against Sudan and repealing CP 2004/31/CFSP 30 May 2005 None 
			 Common Position 205/888/CFSP concerning specific restrictive measures against certain persons suspected of involvement in the assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafiq Hariri 12 December 2005 None 
			 Common Position concerning restrictive measures against Osama bin Laden, members of the Al-Qaeda organisation and the Taliban and other individuals, groups, undertakings and entities associated with them and repealing CPs 96/746/CFSP, 1999/727/CFSP, 2001/154/CFSP and 2001/771/CFSP 27 May 2002 None 
			 Common Position 2004/161/CFSP renewing restrictive measures against Zimbabwe 19 February 2004 20 February 2010

Haiti: Earthquakes

Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what estimate he has made of the number of Britons killed or injured in the Haiti earthquake.

Ivan Lewis: We can confirm that two British nationals were killed in the Haiti earthquake.

Nigeria: Violence

Lindsay Roy: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent reports he has received of violence in the city of Jos and Plateau state, Nigeria; and if he will make a statement.

Ivan Lewis: We are deeply saddened by the recent loss of life caused by violence between ethnic groups in the city of Jos and Plateau State, as expressed in my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary's joint statement with US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner and EU High Representative Baroness Ashton on 28 January 2010.
	We welcome Vice President Jonathan's statement during his visit to Jos on 25 January 2010 that those responsible for crimes will be prosecuted, and that Nigeria will seek long-term solutions to inter-communal conflict in the country.

Peru: EU External Trade

Annette Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what conditions will be placed on Peru to ensure its compliance with human rights requirements, with particular reference to the human rights of indigenous people, in negotiations on an EU-Peru free trade agreement; and what sanctions will be imposed if Peru does not meet those conditions.

Chris Bryant: The Government regard trade agreements as important for economic growth and prosperity in developed and developing countries, helping to reduce the poverty that is often the driver of conflict, displacement and human rights abuse. We continue to raise matters of the human rights of indigenous people and will insist on tough and enforceable human rights conditions as part of any EU Free Trade Agreement with the Andean region.

Sri Lanka: Politics and Government

Lindsay Roy: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what his most recent assessment is of the political situation in Sri Lanka; and if he will make a statement.

Ivan Lewis: The Sri Lankan Election Commissioner announced on 27 January 2010 that President Rajapakse had won the presidential election with a clear majority. We are encouraging the president to use his new mandate to work towards a fully inclusive political solution which addresses the underlying causes of the conflict. It remains our view that this is the only way to achieve lasting peace in Sri Lanka. Genuine reconciliation between Sri Lanka's communities will depend in a large part on the government promoting and protecting the rights of all Sri Lankans.
	We welcome the fact that election day was largely peaceful. However we will also be pressing the Government of Sri Lanka to ensure that investigations are carried out into the reported violations of election law during the election campaign, including the numerous incidents of violence, and to take measures to prevent electoral violations in the forthcoming parliamentary elections.
	EU High Representative Baroness Ashton released the following statement on the election:
	http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=IP/10/106format=HTMLaged=0language=ENguiLanguage=en

Tibet: Politics and Government

Lindsay Roy: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with his Chinese counterpart on the political situation in Tibet.

Ivan Lewis: We discuss Tibet regularly with the Chinese authorities at all levels. My right hon. Friend the Prime Minister has raised Tibet with President Hu and Premier Wen. My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary has also discussed Tibet with State Councillor Dai Bingguo and Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi.
	Our interest is in sustainable development and long-term stability for Tibet, which can be achieved only through respect for the rights of Tibetan people and genuine autonomy for Tibet. Substantive dialogue between Chinese authorities and representatives of His Holiness the Dalai Lama is the best way to achieve this. We welcome the announcement of the resumption of dialogue between the Chinese authorities and the representatives of the Dalai Lama and urge both sides to approach the dialogue in good faith.

Turkey: EU Enlargement

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent progress has been made on negotiations on the accession of Turkey to the EU; and if he will make a statement.  [Official Report, 24 February 2010, Vol. 506, c. 7MC.]

Ivan Lewis: In December 2009 the EU agreed to open the Environment Chapter of the accession negotiations with Turkey. Turkey has now opened 11 out of 35 accession Chapters.
	The European Commission's most recent Progress Report for 2009 on Turkey's EU accession process noted several steps forward, for example in addressing the Kurdish and Armenian questions, a new judicial reform strategy, and improving energy security.
	During my hon. Friend the Minister for Europe's visit to Istanbul he reiterated the UK's support for Turkey's EU membership and urged Turkey to continue making the necessary reforms and to abide by its commitments under the Ankara Protocol.
	At the same time the report noted that renewed efforts on further reforms were needed and challenged Turkey to step up the pace of their reform programme and proactively contribute to a Cyprus settlement.

Zimbabwe: Politics and Government

Lindsay Roy: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with Commonwealth governments on the restoration of democracy in Zimbabwe; and if he will make a statement.

Ivan Lewis: My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary discussed Zimbabwe with his Commonwealth counterparts at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM), which took place in Trinidad between 27 and 29 November 2009. Commonwealth Heads of Government welcomed the Global Political Agreement on power-sharing in Zimbabwe, and expressed the hope that this would be implemented faithfully and effectively. They looked forward to the conditions being created for the return of Zimbabwe to the Commonwealth.
	We are in regular contact with members of the Southern African Development Community, many of whom are members of the Commonwealth, as part of an ongoing dialogue.

DEFENCE

Afghanistan: Peacekeeping Operations

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer of 7 December 2009,  Official Report, column 88W, on Afghanistan: peacekeeping operations, whether the three helicopters were delivered to Afghanistan by 31 December 2009.

Bob Ainsworth: holding answer 29 January 2010
	The helicopters arrived in Afghanistan in early January 2010 and declared fully operational on 25 January 2010.

Aircraft Carriers

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what expenditure his Department has incurred on the Queen Elizabeth class aircraft carriers during the  (a) initial and  (b) main gate decision period for the two new carriers.

Quentin Davies: Costs incurred for the Queen Elizabeth Class Aircraft Carriers up to the end of the Assessment Phase were £110 million (CDEL, Outturn), with a further £174 million (CDEL, Outturn) incurred up to the end of the Demonstration Phase. Following Main Gate approval in July 2007, the QE Class Manufacture Contract was placed in July 2008, defining the end of the Demonstration Phase.

Aircraft Carriers

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will estimate his Department's research and development expenditure arising from its procurement of two new Queen Elizabeth class aircraft carriers.

Quentin Davies: The Queen Elizabeth class aircraft carriers utilise mostly mature equipment and technology. As a de-risking measure we have spent around £20 million on shore-based test facilities in the areas of mission systems, power and propulsion and highly mechanised weapon handling.

Armed Forces: Deployment

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many troops are deployed at each overseas location on operations.

Bill Rammell: The following table shows the number of troops deployed on operations at overseas locations:
	
		
			  Location  Endorsed number (as at  21 January 10)( 1) 
			 Afghanistan 9,500 
			 Iraq (2)150 
			 At sea (3)1,050 
			 Falklands/South Atlantic 1,500 
			 Qatar 150 
			 Cyprus 300 
			 Bahrain 150 
			 Oman 350 
			 UAE 50 
			 Other (4)50 
			 (1) Rounded to the nearest 50 personnel. (2) On 15 June 2009, ( Official Report, column 21), the Prime Minister set out for Parliament the current number of UK military personnel expected to remain in Iraq to conduct Navy training and maritime support after the withdrawal of the bulk of our forces from southern Iraq and Baghdad. The UK/Iraq agreement was ratified by the Presidency Council on 23 October, following which the UK has reinserted up to 100 personnel into Iraq to deliver its mandate. Some British personnel are also in Iraq under the NATO Long Term Agreement as part of the NATO Training Mission-Iraq. (3) Numbers at sea in support of Operations Telic and Calash. (4) Small scale deployments in support of EU and UN missions, headquarters liaison officers and capacity building activities. 
		
	
	The precise number of personnel in each theatre fluctuates on a daily basis for a variety of reasons, including mid-tour rest and recuperation, temporary absence for training, evacuation for medical reasons, the roulement of forces, visits and a range of other factors. We do not, therefore, publish actual figures for personnel deployed in theatre.

Armed Forces: Discharges

Andrew Murrison: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether members of the armed forces attending a medical discharge board are permitted to attend with a  (a) nominated colleague,  (b) friend and  (c) legal adviser; and if he will make a statement.

Kevan Jones: holding answer 8 December 2009
	The single service medical boards encourage service personnel to bring with them someone with whom they feel comfortable and who can give support during the appointment. The person can be a service person from their workplace or unit, or a civilian family member if they prefer. At times social workers, other medical support staff, or (more rarely) legal advisers, have attended. If the patient wishes, this person can be with them during the consultations and administrative interviews.

Armed Forces: Driving

Stephen Crabb: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  how many military driving licences were converted into civilian driving licences in each year since 2005;
	(2)  how many military driving licences were not converted into civilian licences as a result of processing errors in each year since 2005.

Kevan Jones: The Ministry Of Defence (MOD) does not have a 'military driving licence' but does have the legal authority to conduct the national driving tests on MOD personnel. Successful candidates receive their UK national licence for the categories tested on.
	The number of successful driving test passes, in all categories, from 1 April 2005 to 26 January 2010 is as follows:
	
		
			   Number 
			 1 April 2005 to 31 March 2006 24,498 
			 1 April 2006 to 31 March 2007 25,352 
			 1 April 2007 to 31 March 2008 24,646 
			 1 April 2008 to 31 March 2009 25,191 
			 1 April 2009 to 26 January 2010 19,310 
		
	
	Prior to October 2005 all MOD personnel passing a UK national driving test through the military system would have been issued with a Driving Standards Agency pass certificate by the MOD Driving Examiner. The successful candidate was responsible for sending their pass certificate and existing driving licence to the DVLA within the two-year life of the pass certificate in order to have their licence amended. There is no information available as to how many MOD personnel failed to have their licences amended after having successfully passed a driving test.
	Since October 2005 the confirmation of a successful driving test for MOD personnel has been transferred electronically to the DVLA via the Military Automatic Driving Licence Issue (MADLI) system. The DVLA then process the licence amendments and an upgraded licence is sent out within four days. There is no evidence of driver licence processing errors since MADLI was introduced.

Armed Forces: Health Services

Andrew Murrison: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the cost of running each service medical board of survey was in the latest period for which figures are available.

Kevan Jones: The total costs of running each single service medical board are not collated centrally. As well as staff costs of board members, the composition of which will vary according to the specific case, these will include such items as accommodation, utilities, travel and subsistence, reprographics and administration, both personnel and processing. Comprehensive and verifiable figures could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Armed Forces: Health Services

Andrew Murrison: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many personnel are assigned to the  (a) Army,  (b) Royal Air Force and  (c) Royal Navy Medical Board of Survey.

Kevan Jones: The Naval Service Medical Board of Survey (NSMBOS) is based at the Institute of Naval Medicine, Alverstoke. Staff assigned to the board are as follows:
	
		
			  Rank/grade  Number  Full/part-time 
			 Surgeon Captain 1 Full-time 
			 Surgeon Commander 1 Part-time(1) 
			 Warrant Officer 1 Full-time 
			 CPO 1 Full-time 
			 C2 (civilian) 1 Full-time 
			 E1 (civilian) 1 Full-time 
			 E2 (civilian) 2 Full-time 
			 Leading Medical Assistant 1 Full-time 
			 Medical Assistant 1 Full-time 
			 (1 )Approximately 2.5 days per week. 
		
	
	Army Medical Boards are conducted as required at Army bases and units around the UK and in Germany, and are run by regional occupational health teams. The specific composition and staffing of these varies, although there are common denominators, such as a president who is a consultant occupational physician, usually a colonel or lieutenant colonel, as well as a combination of clinical specialists as appropriate to the case, military and civilian medical officers, plus administrative staff.
	The RAF Medical Board is based at RAF Henlow. Staff assigned to the board are as follows:
	
		
			  Role  Rank/grade  Number  Full/part-time 
			 Occupational Health Consultant (RAF) Group Captain (Officer Commanding) 1 Full-time 
			 Occupational Health Consultant (RAF) Wing Commander (Deputy) 1 Full-time 
			 Occupational Health Consultant (civilian) n/a 1 Part-time(1) 
			 General Practitioner (RAF) Squadron Leader 1 Full-time 
			 General Practitioner (civilian) n/a 1 Part-time(2) 
			 Service Training Squadron Leader 1 Part-time(3) 
			 Practice Manager Flight Sergeant (RAF medic) 1 Full-time 
			 Support staff Sergeant (RAF medic) 1 Full-time 
			 Support staff Corporal (RAF medic) 1 Full-time 
			 Support Staff E1 (civilian) 2 Full-time 
			 Support Staff E2 (civilian) 3 Full-time 
			 (1) Three days per week. (2) Two days per week. (3) Four days per week.

Armed Forces: Health Services

Andrew Murrison: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the mean time between medical downgrading and appearance before a medical board of survey was for each of the armed forces in each year since 1997.

Kevan Jones: Individuals may normally be downgraded in a temporary reduced medical category for up to 12 months continuously for the same condition (18 months for the RAF); this will usually be done when a recovery of function would be expected within this time period. At any time during this period, and in any case at its expiration if full recovery has not taken place, the individual can be referred to the appropriate single Service Medical Board for award of a permanently reduced Joint Medical Employment Standard (JMES). The timing of referral will in all cases strike an appropriate balance between the needs of the individual service and those of the patient. The mean time between initial temporary downgrading and attendance at a Medical Board for award of a permanently reduced JMES in each year since 1997 is not held centrally, and could be provided at disproportionate cost.

Armed Forces: Health Services

Andrew Murrison: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many cases of each diagnosed condition each service medical board of survey considered in each year since 1997.

Kevan Jones: This information is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Armed Forces: Health Services

Andrew Murrison: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many complaints were filed against each service medical board of survey by  (a) attendees and  (b) third parties acting on behalf of attendees since 1997.

Kevan Jones: Each of the single services has a process for handling complaints against medical board decisions. Redress of complaint and service complaints can be made only by the person involved, not on behalf of others, and so the following figures apply only to complaints by attendees.
	Within the Naval Service, the Naval Service Medical Board of Survey (NSMBOS) has no record of any complaint filed against it. Current and historic data is not held centrally about service complaints concluded successfully at unit level and data could be provided only at disproportionate cost. There are no records of any service complaints about NSMBOS decisions being referred to higher level naval authorities for consideration.
	Within the Army, service complaints are resolved at one of three levels: Level 1-the prescribed officer (usually the Commanding Officer (CO); Level 2-the Superior Officer (SO); and Level 3-The Defence Council. The intent is that complaints are dealt with at the lowest level possible and resolution achieved quickly and, where possible, informally but the making of a service complaint in accordance with legislation is a legal right under section 334 of the Armed Forces Act 2006.
	If either the CO or SO are unable to deal effectively with the complaint or lack the authority to grant the desired or any other appropriate redress, they may refer the complaint to the next level. At each of the first two levels, if the complainant is not satisfied with the proposed resolution of the complaint or the redress to be granted, they may apply to have the complaint referred to the next higher level for consideration. For serving personnel in the Army, the following data reflect those complaints against a decision made by a medical board which reached Level 3 (Defence Council); verified data are not available prior to 2000:
	
		
			   Level 3 complaints 
			 2000 3 
			 2001 0 
			 2002 0 
			 2003 2 
			 2004 0 
			 2005 0 
			 2006 0 
			 2007 4 
			 2008 4 
			 2009 1 
		
	
	For the RAF, the numbers of personnel that have put a service complaint forward via the redress mechanism, regarding the Permanent Employment Standard awarded by the RAF Medical Board, since 2004 are as follows:
	
		
			   Complaints received 
			 2004 0 
			 2005 3 
			 2006 0 
			 2007 3 
			 2008 1 
			 2009 (1)7 
			 (1 )Including clarification of award. 
		
	
	Files are kept for five years and then destroyed. consequently records for the full period requested are not available.

Armed Forces: Housing

Willie Rennie: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many  (a) single living and  (b) service family accommodation units are awaiting demolition.

Kevan Jones: Service Family Accommodation (SFA) properties are only demolished as a last resort in cases where they are surplus to requirements but cannot be sold or otherwise disposed of.
	While the majority of properties are located in the area surrounding a military site, some are located 'within the wire' of the site itself and so cannot be disposed of for security reasons.
	This is the case with the 81 SFA properties currently awaiting demolition. They are located at RAF Digby and Prince William of Gloucester Barracks, Grantham and are due to be demolished by the end of March 2010.
	Around 35,000 Single Living Accommodation (SLA) bed-spaces are now at the highest standard (Grade 1) and our intent is that by 2020 some 70 per cent. of UK personnel will be in Grade 1 SLA and the remainder in Grade 2. Some barrack blocks are routinely refurbished or demolished as part of our £1.4 billion modernisation programme, but the re-use or demolition of accommodation blocks which have been replaced is a matter for local commands and information is not held centrally.

Armed Forces: Uniforms

Mark Lancaster: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what steps his Department has taken to expedite the issuing of Mk7 helmets to troops serving within theatre.

Kevan Jones: 15,000 Mk7 helmets have been ordered, of which 5,000 were delivered to theatre last year. A further 7,000 will be delivered to theatre early this year.
	Helmets are a personnel issue item, so theatre stocks are continually replenished as service personnel return to the UK with their helmet at the end of their tour of duty.

Army: Recruitment

Willie Rennie: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much funding his Department allocated for overseas travel expenses for Army recruitment teams in each of the last five years.

Bill Rammell: Army recruiting teams operate in the United Kingdom and do not incur any costs for overseas travel.
	However, the Army's overseas pre-selection teams, which travel to countries that have a high number of people who have applied to join the Army, have incurred the following costs for flights, transport and accommodation charges for staff since 2005-06:
	
		
			  Financial year  Cost (£) 
			 2005-06 42,507 
			 2006-07 78,639 
			 2007-08 197,589 
			 2008-09 140,566 
		
	
	Overseas pre-selection teams tend to be more active during periods when the Army is finding it harder to attract sufficient numbers of recruits. In light of the relatively healthy manning position which exists in the Army at present, there have been no overseas visits by the overseas pre-selection teams in 2009-10.

Clyde Naval Base

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  what plans he has for the conventional surface fleet based at Faslane other than the withdrawal of HMS Walney;
	(2)  what plans he has for the fleet of Sandown class mine hunters other than the withdrawal of HMS Walney.

Quentin Davies: The eight Sandown class mine hunter vessels are the only conventional surface ships based at Faslane. We have no plans to change this arrangement or to make any changes to the Sandown class other than the withdrawal from service of HMS Walney later this year.

Departmental Consultants

Julia Goldsworthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much consultants employed by his Department and its agencies have been paid  (a) in total and  (b) in reimbursable expenses in each of the last 10 years.

Kevan Jones: Summaries for the years 1995-96 to 2007-08 of the MOD's expenditure on External Assistance, of which consultancy is a part, are available in the Library of the House. These summaries also include the spend figures for the Department's agencies, but they exclude expenditure by non-departmental public bodies, which is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	Information on reimbursable expenses paid to consultants is not held centrally and could be only provided at disproportionate cost. The circumstances in which reasonable expenses may be reimbursed are set out in contract terms and conditions and their payment is subject to subsequent scrutiny by a designated official.

Departmental Housing

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent estimate he has made of the  (a) potential annual rental and  (b) total book value of the (i) empty and (ii) occupied residential properties owned by his Department.

Kevan Jones: The majority of the 70,000 service family accommodation (SFA) properties worldwide are leased rather than owned by the Ministry of Defence (MOD) and therefore details of the potential annual rental and book value of these properties is a matter for the owners.
	Where the MOD does own the SFA, such as in Scotland and Northern Ireland, it is solely for the purpose of housing entitled Service families. No estimate is made of how much income could be generated by letting out the properties on a commercial basis. SFA occupancy charges for personnel are set annually by the independent armed forces pay review body.
	With regard to the value of the premises, details of all MOD holdings over £1 million, together with their latest asset valuations, can be found in chapter seven of the National Asset Register, on HM Treasury's website, last published in 2007:
	www.hm-treasury.gov.uk
	The requested information, and details of all property below £1 million in value, could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Departmental Pay

Willie Rennie: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer of 26 January 2010,  Official Report, column 796W, on departmental pay, how many senior fixed-term appointees in each organisation were paid bonuses of over £50,000 in 2008-09.

Bob Ainsworth: Two. The individuals are employed by the MOD in two separate organisations. Performance awards are judged against taut objectives, on a sliding scale with no awards until specific levels of performance are achieved. Performance is judged by remuneration committee with independent departmental validation at a senior level. These individuals and their organisations have played a critical role in supporting front line operations and contributed to savings of £57.5 million paid to the Department in 2008-09.

Departmental Public Consultation

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many citizens' juries or summits have been hosted by his Department since October 2008; on what date each event took place; and which Ministers were present at each event.

Kevan Jones: The Ministry of Defence has not arranged any citizens' juries or summits since October 2008.

Ex-servicemen: Homelessness

Stephen Ladyman: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what estimate he has made of the number of homeless former service personnel in each year since 1992.

Kevan Jones: Independent research carried out in London in 2008 by the university of York shows that the proportion of veterans among the homeless population has fallen dramatically over the last 10 years. Veterans now represent some 6 per cent. of the homeless population in London compared with the 22 per cent. found in separate research in 1997. This is a real success story in our strategy to tackle homelessness in London. However, the numbers of ex-service personnel who find themselves homeless are still too high, and we plan to continue to develop our relationships with the charitable sector to ensure we continue to address this very important issue.
	The MOD is always interested in identifying ways in which veterans can be assisted. The Government's commitment was set out in the Service Personnel Command Paper, The Nation's Commitment: Cross Government Support to our Armed Forces, their Families and Veterans, in July 2008.
	Changes have been made to the law in England and Wales so that servicemen and women are now able to establish a local connection with the district in which they are or have just been serving for the purposes of applying for social housing and homelessness assistance while plans are in place to implement similar arrangements in Scotland. We are also working with the Department for Communities and Local Government to agree arrangements whereby empty MOD houses can be used by veterans for an interim period after they leave the service. In addition, a 25-unit supported housing facility for veterans, Mike Jackson House, was opened in Aldershot in 2008. Building work on a similar 31-unit scheme in Catterick started on 19 January 2010.

Ex-servicemen: Homelessness

Fiona Mactaggart: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what steps he is taking to minimise the number of ex-service personnel who are street homeless.

Kevan Jones: The MOD are always interested in identifying ways in which veterans can be assisted. The Government's commitment was set out in the Service Personnel Command Paper (The Nation's Commitment to our Armed Forces, their families and veterans) in July 2008.
	Changes have been made to the law in England and Wales so that servicemen and women are now able to establish a local connection with the district in which they are or have just been serving for the purposes of applying for social housing and homelessness assistance while plans are in place to implement similar arrangements in Scotland. In addition we are working with the Department for Communities and Local Government to agree arrangements whereby empty MOD houses can be used by veterans for an interim period after they leave the Service. A 25-unit supported housing facility for veterans, Mike Jackson House, was opened in Aldershot in 2008. Building work on a similar 31-unit scheme in Catterick started on 19 January 2010.
	Independent research carried out in London in 2008 by the University of York shows that the proportion of veterans among the homeless population has fallen dramatically over the last 10 years. Veterans now represent some six per cent of the homeless population in London compared with the 22 per cent. found in separate research in 1997. This is a real success story in our strategy to tackle homelessness in London. However, the numbers of ex-service personnel who find themselves homeless are still too high, and we plan to continue to develop our relationships with the charitable sector to ensure we continue to address this very important issue.

Ex-servicemen: Prisoners

Stephen Ladyman: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what estimate has he made of the number of former service personnel in prison in each year since 1992.

Kevan Jones: The information requested is not held. However, the Defence Analytical Services and Advice (DASA) organisation have estimated that, as at November 2009, there were 2,207 veterans in prisons in England and Wales out of a total prison population of just over 81,000 offenders. This represents almost 3 per cent. of the prison population and was determined by matching a database of offenders aged 18 and over from the Ministry of Justice against a database of service leavers (regulars only) from the MOD (some 1.3 million records). This is the most comprehensive study to date on veterans in prisons and the estimate of 3 per cent. is in line with a Home Office survey of 2,000 nationally representative offenders at the point of release in 2001, 2003 and 2004, which reported the proportion of veterans to be 6 per cent., 4 per cent. and 5 per cent. respectively.
	The DASA report is at:
	http://www.dasa.mod.uk/applications/newWeb/www/index. php?page=48pubType=3thiscontent=540PublishTime= 16:00:00date=2010-01-25disText=Single%20Report from=listingtopDate=2010-01-25

HMS Daring

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer of 5 January 2010,  Official Report, column 35W, on Type 45 destroyers, whether the problems encountered during the test firing of the Sea Viper missile will affect the timetable for bringing HMS Daring into service; and what consideration he has given to fitting HMS Daring with a different missile system.

Quentin Davies: In-depth analysis of the most recent test firing of the Sea Viper Missile System in November 2009, using range and telemetry data, is ongoing. Pending the outcome of this complex investigation, HMS Daring's planned in-service date remains later this year. No consideration has been given to an alternative to the Sea Viper Missile System.

HMS Daring

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether HMS Daring is to be fitted with a Phalanx system.

Quentin Davies: The Phalanx Weapons System has not been fitted to HMS Daring although the ship has been designed with the space and services margin to allow additional equipment, including Phalanx, to be fitted. Any such decisions would be made in accordance with the ship's operational requirements.

HMS Walney

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer of 5 January 2010,  Official Report, column 35W, on warships, what the crew complement of HMS Walney is.

Quentin Davies: HMS Walney has a complement of 34.

Iraq and Afghanistan: Peacekeeping Operations

Roger Gale: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the names are of service personnel who have died in the UK following injuries sustained on active service in  (a) Iraq and  (b) Afghanistan who are not included in the published statistics of those who have died on active service in each of those countries.

Bob Ainsworth: The names of service personnel who sustain injuries while serving in Iraq or Afghanistan and who subsequently and sadly then die as a result of those wounds are announced by the Ministry of Defence and eulogised in the same way as those killed in action. Details of all operational fatalities are published on the MOD website. Such individuals are also included in published statistics on fatalities as a result of operations. For example, someone who receives injuries as a result of hostile action, who is then aeromedically evacuated back to the UK and subsequently dies as a result of those wounds, would be announced in the same way as if they had died in Iraq or Afghanistan and would be included in the published statistics as DOW (died of wounds). Consequently there are no service personnel who have died in the UK following injuries sustained on active service in Iraq or Afghanistan who are not included in the published statistics.

Nimrod Aircraft

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to his statement of 15 December 2009,  Official Report, column 801, on the future defence programme, how his Department plans to fill the requirement for long-range rescue and maritime reconnaissance after the planned withdrawal of Nimrod.

Bill Rammell: The introduction of the MRA4 will bring a substantially more capable aircraft than the MR2 into the RAF's fleet. In the period of transition until the MRA4 enters service we intend to use other assets, as available, in the long-range search and rescue and maritime reconnaissance roles. We cannot comment on actual capability levels as this is classified information.

RAF Brize Norton

James Gray: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence for how many days Brize Norton was closed owing to the recent bad weather; how many flights were diverted as a result; and to what destination each was diverted.

Bill Rammell: Between 1 and 17 January RAF Brize Norton closed on three occasions, the longest period of closure was 68 hours and the shortest was three hours. Details of the dates and times of the closures are shown in the following table.
	
		
			  Closed  Opened 
			 5 January 2010 at 16:30 hrs 8 January 2010 at 12:55 hrs 
			 11 January 2010 at 02:15 hrs 11 January 2010 at 05:15 hrs 
			 13 January 2010 at 01:15 hrs 13 January 2010 at 13:54 hrs 
		
	
	During these periods of closure 14 flights were required to divert to other airfields: six to East Midlands Airport; four to Glasgow Prestwick Airport; two to Birmingham International Airport; one to Gatwick Airport; and one to JHC Flying Station Aldergrove.
	Delivery of the Afghan airbridge was challenging during the bad weather, however, it continued to operate successfully with outbound flights transferring to East Midlands Airport.

Type 45 Destroyers

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he expects the first in class Type 45 destroyers to be fully operational.

Quentin Davies: HMS Daring is currently undertaking final trials and integration activity prior to achieving her in-service date, which is planned for later this year. At that point she will meet the Royal Navy's minimum operational requirement. A further period of crew training will then be carried out after which Daring will be available for deployment. I am unable to disclose further details as this would, or would be likely to, prejudice the capability, effectiveness or security of the armed forces.

HEALTH

Alcoholic Drinks: Misuse

Jim Cousins: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many alcohol-related admissions there were to hospitals in each primary care trust area in  (a) 2007 and  (b) 2008; and what proportion these represented of all admissions in each area in each year.

Gillian Merron: The information requested is provided in the following table.
	
		
			  Number of admissions of patients with an alcohol-related diagnosis as a percentage of all finished admissions, by primary care trust of residence 
			   2007-08  2008-09 
			  PCT name  Total hospital admissions  Alcohol-related hospital admissions  ARA as a percentage of total admissions  Total hospital admissions  Alcohol-related hospital admissions  ARA as a percentage of total admissions 
			 Ashton, Leigh and Wigan PCT 89,524 7,153 8.0 94,216 8,279 8.8 
			 Barking and Dagenham PCT 40,288 2,825 7.0 42,758 3,014 7.0 
			 Barnet PCT 59,922 2,963 4.9 84,360 4,416 5.2 
			 Barnsley PCT 72,377 4,531 6.3 76,571 5,270 6.9 
			 Bassetlaw PCT 26,336 2,168 8.2 29,665 2,343 7.9 
			 Bath and North East Somerset PCT 37,632 2,650 7.0 39,407 2,979 7.6 
			 Bedfordshire PCT 86,938 6,090 7.0 91,860 6,355 6.9 
			 Berkshire East PCT 88,238 4,813 5.5 88,395 5,327 6.0 
			 Berkshire West PCT 94,994 4,778 5.0 96,860 5,111 5.3 
			 Bexley Care Trust 53,110 2,254 4.2 55,968 2,385 4.3 
			 Birmingham East and North PCT 115,593 6,662 5.8 113,090 7,153 6.3 
			 Blackburn with Darwen PCT 49,495 2,935 5.9 42,138 2,911 6.9 
			 Blackpool PCT 54,918 3,051 5.6 57,769 3,484 6.0 
			 Bolton PCT 70,815 5,438 7.7 75,285 5,275 7.0 
			 Bournemouth and Poole PCT 100,996 4,658 4.6 108,439 5,298 4.9 
			 Bradford and Airedale PCT 139,396 8,509 6.1 152,059 10,020 6.6 
			 Brent Teaching PCT 63,894 3,738 5.8 70,789 4,202 5.9 
			 Brighton and Hove City PCT 58,363 4,655 8.0 62,839 5,150 8.2 
			 Bristol PCT 113,262 8,206 7.2 119,622 9,666 8.1 
			 Bromley PCT 74,693 4,653 6.2 83,737 5,300 6.3 
			 Buckinghamshire PCT 116,276 5,295 4.6 116,326 5,361 4.6 
			 Bury PCT 54,757 3,687 6.7 57,828 4,103 7.1 
			 Calderdale PCT 50,163 3,637 7.2 54,204 3,621 6.7 
			 Cambridgeshire PCT 133,187 10,543 7.9 141,785 11,352 8.0 
			 Camden PCT 45,058 3,088 6.9 47,298 3,018 6.4 
			 Central and Eastern Cheshire PCT 107,255 8,060 7.5 123,808 8,874 7.2 
			 Central Lancashire PCT 135,917 10,838 8.0 143,358 11,467 8.0 
			 City and Hackney Teaching PCT 55,994 3,122 5.6 55,867 2,879 5.2 
			 Cornwall and Isles of Scilly PCT 157,712 9,558 6.1 154,336 10,643 6.9 
			 County Durham PCT 141,589 10,699 7.6 154,896 13,049 8.4 
			 Coventry Teaching PCT 68,053 3,763 5.5 82,733 6,223 7.5 
			 Croydon PCT 75,606 4,809 6.4 84,706 5,470 6.5 
			 Cumbria PCT 143,005 11,137 7.8 152,386 11,385 7.5 
			 Darlington PCT 27,983 2,155 7.7 30,176 2,463 8.2 
			 Derby City PCT 65,934 5,320 8.1 74,680 6,580 8.8 
			 Derbyshire County PCT 194,111 13,369 6.9 204,266 15,343 7.5 
			 Devon PCT 205,008 13,312 6.5 217,880 14,081 6.5 
			 Doncaster PCT 79,035 5,735 7.3 83,074 6,090 7.3 
			 Dorset PCT 124,652 5,994 4.8 132,894 6,995 5.3 
			 Dudley PCT 90,254 6,392 7.1 96,125 7,041 7.4 
			 Ealing PCT 79,447 5,581 7.0 86,081 6,381 7.4 
			 East and North Hertfordshire PCT 105,737 5,635 5.3 121,484 5,799 4.8 
			 East Lancashire PCT 108,912 7,784 7.1 112,425 8,039 7.2 
			 East Riding of Yorkshire PCT 89,784 5,125 5.7 94,397 5,208 5.5 
			 East Sussex Downs and Weald PCT 88,350 6,536 7.4 93,079 6,736 7.2 
			 Eastern and Coastal Kent PCT 161,183 12,005 7.4 178,740 13,336 7.5 
			 Enfield PCT 57,838 2,762 4.8 77,415 4,104 5.3 
			 Gateshead PCT 50,242 5,173 10.3 52,919 5,670 10.7 
			 Gloucestershire PCT 137,676 9,968 7.2 153,462 10,936 7.1 
			 Great Yarmouth and Waveney PCT 53,937 4,467 8.3 57,242 4,687 8.2 
			 Greenwich Teaching PCT 60,413 3,028 5.0 55,439 2,809 5.1 
			 Halton and St. Helens PCT 87,252 6,994 8.0 93,517 7,891 8.4 
			 Hammersmith and Fulham PCT 38,894 2,749 7.1 41,312 2,915 7.1 
			 Hampshire PCT 300,722 16,088 5.3 311,343 18,359 5.9 
			 Haringey Teaching PCT 56,191 2,727 4.9 56,417 3,170 5.6 
			 Harrow PCT 45,250 2,732 6.0 52,421 3,160 6.0 
			 Hartlepool PCT 29,052 2,005 6.9 29,316 2,279 7.8 
			 Hastings and Rother PCT 51,143 3,333 6.5 54,258 3,534 6.5 
			 Havering PCT 52,392 3,710 7.1 56,240 4,088 7.3 
			 Heart of Birmingham Teaching PCT 72,582 5,614 7.7 75,331 5,970 7.9 
			 Herefordshire PCT 41,477 2,785 6.7 45,077 3,055 6.8 
			 Heywood, Middleton and Rochdale PCT 65,500 5,082 7.8 67,818 5,682 8.4 
			 Hillingdon PCT 62,593 4,407 7.0 68,701 4,840 7.0 
			 Hounslow PCT 49,981 3,443 6.9 55,780 4,161 7.5 
			 Hull PCT 76,444 4,997 6.5 77,583 4,840 6.2 
			 Isle of Wight Healthcare PCT 19,887 1,129 5.7 31,124 1,428 4.6 
			 Islington PCT 45,013 2,908 6.5 49,382 3,072 6.2 
			 Kensington and Chelsea PCT 31,148 1,893 6.1 33,336 1,993 6.0 
			 Kingston PCT 33,058 2,166 6.6 31,976 1,863 5.8 
			 Kirklees PCT 96,878 5,072 5.2 103,199 5,840 5.7 
			 Knowsley PCT 52,778 3,906 7.4 52,669 4,169 7.9 
			 Lambeth PCT 62,910 3,538 5.6 66,233 3,309 5.0 
			 Leeds PCT 187,306 11,046 5.9 202,576 12,816 6.3 
			 Leicester City PCT 87,474 6,492 7.4 91,257 6,520 7.1 
			 Leicestershire County and Rutland PCT 162,359 10,349 6.4 171,988 10,962 6.4 
			 Lewisham PCT 68,935 3,638 5.3 72,763 3,996 5.5 
			 Lincolnshire PCT 187,143 11,396 6.1 197,638 12,119 6.1 
			 Liverpool PCT 144,965 11,945 8.2 144,152 13,054 9.1 
			 Luton Teaching PCT 47,146 3,259 6.9 51,134 3,594 7.0 
			 Manchester PCT 125,569 9,418 7.5 136,967 10,507 7.7 
			 Medway Teaching PCT 53,911 3,755 7.0 56,156 3,983 7.1 
			 Mid Essex PCT 77,275 4,281 5.5 89,777 4,931 5.5 
			 Middlesbrough PCT 43,951 3,696 8.4 45,991 3,858 8.4 
			 Milton Keynes PCT 59,689 3,435 5.8 62,336 3,315 5.3 
			 Newcastle PCT 78,169 7,506 9.6 83,595 7,927 9.5 
			 Newham PCT 77,723 3,842 4.9 78,283 3,954 5.1 
			 Norfolk PCT 189,046 12,222 6.5 198,969 14,080 7.1 
			 North East Essex PCT 68,208 3,784 5.5 71,738 3,950 5.5 
			 North East Lincolnshire PCT 45,040 3,382 7.5 47,529 2,885 6.1 
			 North Lancashire PCT 96,870 5,916 6.1 105,379 6,858 6.5 
			 North Lincolnshire PCT 47,098 3,624 7.7 46,502 2,986 6.4 
			 North Somerset PCT 56,144 4,084 7.3 58,156 4,577 7.9 
			 North Staffordshire PCT 44,571 3,208 7.2 56,202 4,187 7.4 
			 North Tyneside PCT 66,488 5,248 7.9 70,475 5,731 8.1 
			 North Yorkshire and York PCT 184,460 11,500 6.2 201,026 12,669 6.3 
			 Northamptonshire PCT 179,418 9,624 5.4 187,127 10,550 5.6 
			 Northumberland Care Trust 95,586 6,888 7.2 99,402 7,490 7.5 
			 Nottingham City PCT 69,171 4,871 7.0 73,958 5,477 7.4 
			 Nottinghamshire County PCT 165,220 10,751 6.5 174,728 12,155 7.0 
			 Oldham PCT 69,392 4,109 5.9 66,491 4,557 6.9 
			 Oxfordshire PCT 140,011 6,544 4.7 136,285 7,129 5.2 
			 Peterborough PCT 44,500 3,296 7.4 46,287 3,502 7.6 
			 Plymouth Teaching PCT 63,675 4,976 7.8 70,491 5,436 7.7 
			 Portsmouth City Teaching PCT 50,815 3,652 7.2 51,133 3,913 7.7 
			 Redbridge PCT 55,423 3,581 6.5 59,439 3,898 6.6 
			 Redcar and Cleveland PCT 40,317 3,297 8.2 42,455 3,550 8.4 
			 Richmond and Twickenham PCT 35,172 2,084 5.9 37,083 2,223 6.0 
			 Rotherham PCT 80,729 4,478 5.5 86,009 4,985 5.8 
			 Salford PCT 73,170 5,537 7.6 75,053 6,147 8.2 
			 Sandwell PCT 88,875 6,737 7.6 96,026 6,961 7.2 
			 Sefton PCT 91,661 6,348 6.9 87,483 6,697 7.7 
			 Sheffield PCT 145,485 6,967 4.8 152,496 8,879 5.8 
			 Shropshire County PCT 71,109 4,380 6.2 75,726 4,616 6.1 
			 Solihull PCT 52,907 2,946 5.6 52,185 3,168 6.1 
			 Somerset PCT 137,600 8,452 6.1 148,804 9,276 6.2 
			 South Birmingham PCT 79,314 6,236 7.9 83,905 6,446 7.7 
			 South East Essex PCT 90,346 6,262 6.9 88,733 6,929 7.8 
			 South Gloucestershire PCT 64,646 4,749 7.3 66,078 4,780 7.2 
			 South Staffordshire PCT 151,441 8,927 5.9 163,241 10,486 6.4 
			 South Tyneside PCT 47,450 3,745 7.9 49,968 3,961 7.9 
			 South West Essex PCT 88,348 5,073 5.7 94,547 5,492 5.8 
			 Southampton City PCT 56,295 2,465 4.4 60,040 3,259 5.4 
			 Southwark PCT 63,616 3,382 5.3 69,354 3,259 4.7 
			 Stockport PCT 78,746 5,493 7.0 81,717 5,779 7.1 
			 Stockton-on-Tees Teaching 54,879 3,852 7.0 57,711 4,389 7.6 
			 Stoke on Trent PCT 59,464 4,419 7.4 73,428 5,780 7.9 
			 Suffolk PCT 136,353 9,570 7.0 139,751 8,982 6.4 
			 Sunderland Teaching PCT 85,385 6,491 7.6 92,955 7,588 8.2 
			 Surrey PCT 224,647 14,833 6.6 241,400 16,053 6.6 
			 Sutton and Merton PCT 88,092 4,517 5.1 88,899 5,048 5.7 
			 Swindon PCT 48,849 2,505 5.1 53,657 3,057 5.7 
			 Tameside and Glossop PCT 64,724 5,476 8.5 71,202 6,000 8.4 
			 Telford and Wrekin PCT 39,976 2,673 6.7 41,818 2,594 6.2 
			 Torbay Care Trust 37,591 3,153 8.4 39,526 3,341 8.5 
			 Tower Hamlets PCT 48,477 2,712 5.6 47,699 2,331 4.9 
			 Trafford PCT 53,608 3,525 6.6 62,207 4,236 6.8 
			 Wakefield District PCT 91,148 4,840 5.3 94,782 5,236 5.5 
			 Walsall Teaching PCT 73,285 5,420 7.4 76,446 5,855 7.7 
			 Waltham Forest PCT 52,680 3,116 5.9 56,946 3,444 6.0 
			 Wandsworth PCT 59,111 3,308 5.6 61,077 3,372 5.5 
			 Warrington PCT 52,178 4,518 8.7 55,923 4,615 8.3 
			 Warwickshire PCT 119,048 7,235 6.1 132,782 9,347 7.0 
			 West Essex PCT 69,944 4,174 6.0 73,489 4,933 6.7 
			 West Hertfordshire PCT 108,946 6,055 5.6 128,169 7,041 5.5 
			 West Kent PCT 138,909 8,225 5.9 148,637 9,015 6.1 
			 West Sussex PCT 189,134 12,683 6.7 197,096 13,998 7.1 
			 Western Cheshire PCT 67,560 4,650 6.9 70,679 4,869 6.9 
			 Westminster PCT 44,943 2,752 6.1 48,539 2,908 6.0 
			 Wiltshire PCT 101,967 6,131 6.0 109,587 7,444 6.8 
			 Wirral PCT 97,888 8,428 8.6 102,029 8,686 8.5 
			 Wolverhampton City PCT 69,545 4,386 6.3 74,011 4,628 6.3 
			 Worcestershire PCT 126,015 9,756 7.7 141,381 11,023 7.8 
			
			 Unknown/no fixed abode 414,978 12,400 3.0 257,431 9,656 3.8 
			
			 Total residents of England 13,416,299 863,257 6.4 14,085,259 945,223 6.7 
			  Notes: Includes activity in English National Health Service Hospitals and English NHS commissioned activity in the independent sector.  Alcohol-related conditions The number of alcohol-related admissions is based on the methodology developed by the North West Public Health Observatory. Figures for under 16s only include admissions where one or more of the following alcohol-specific conditions were listed: Alcoholic cardiomyopathy (I42.6) Alcoholic gastritis (K29.2) Alcoholic liver disease (K70) Alcoholic myopathy (G72.1) Alcoholic polyneuropathy (G62.1) Alcohol-induced pseudo-Cushing's syndrome (E24.4) Chronic pancreatitis (alcohol induced) (K86.0) Degeneration of nervous system due to alcohol (G31.2) Mental and behavioural disorders due to use of alcohol (F10) Accidental poisoning by and exposure to alcohol (X45) Ethanol poisoning (T51.0) Methanol poisoning (T51.1) Toxic effect of alcohol, unspecified (T51.9)  Number of episodes in which the patient had an alcohol-related primary or secondary diagnosis These figures represent the number of episodes where an alcohol-related diagnosis was recorded in any of the 20 (14 from 2002-03 to 2006-07 and seven prior to 2002-03) primary and secondary diagnosis fields in a Hospital Episode Statistics (HES) record. Each episode is only counted once in each count, even if an alcohol-related diagnosis is recorded in more than one diagnosis field of the record.  Ungrossed data Figures have not been adjusted for shortfalls in data (i.e. the data are ungrossed).  Finished admission episodes A finished admission episode is the first period of inpatient care under one consultant within one healthcare provider. Finished admission episodes are counted against the year in which the admission episode finishes. It should be noted that admissions do not represent the number of in-patients, as a person may have more than one admission within the year.  Primary diagnosis The primary diagnosis is the first of up to 20 (14 from 2002-03 to 2006-07 and seven prior to 2002-03) diagnosis fields in the HES data set and provides the main reason why the patient was admitted to hospital.  Secondary diagnosis As well as the primary diagnosis, there are up to 19 (13 from 2002-03 to 2007-08 and 6 prior to 2002-03) secondary diagnosis fields in HES that show other diagnoses relevant to the episode of care.  Data quality HES are compiled from data sent by more than 300 NHS trusts and primary care trusts (PCTs) in England. Data are also received from a number of independent sector organisations for activity commissioned by the English NHS. The NHS Information Centre for health and social care liaises closely with these organisations to encourage submission of complete and valid data and seeks to minimise inaccuracies and the effect of missing and invalid data via HES processes. While this brings about improvement over time, some shortcomings remain.  Assessing growth through time HES figures are available from 1989-90 onwards. The quality and coverage of the data have improved over time. These improvements in information submitted by the NHS have been particularly marked in the earlier years and need to be borne in mind when analysing time series.  Some of the increase in figures for later years (particularly 2006-07 onwards) may be due to the improvement in the coverage of independent sector activity. Changes in NHS practice also need to be borne in mind when analysing time series. For example, a number of procedures may now be undertaken in outpatient settings and may no longer be accounted for in the HES data. This may account for any reductions in activity over time.  Assignment of Episodes to Years Years are assigned by the end of the first period of care in a patient's hospital stay.

CJD

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the number of people in England likely to be carrying infective prions that cause vCJD; whether an assessment has been made of whether any such people are likely to be blood donors; and if he will make a statement.

Gillian Merron: A study of stored tissue samples found abnormal prion protein in three appendices out of 12,674 samples. This suggests a prevalence of about 1 in 4,000, though with very wide confidence interval of between 1 in 1,400 and 1 in 20,000. On the expert advice of the Spongiform Encephalopathy Advisory Committee, this single study is given considerable weight, though a larger subsequent study suggests a lower range of estimates. Not all of the individuals in the first study would be of an age eligible to donate blood, nor is it clear whether presence of abnormal prion protein in appendix or tonsil indicates that the blood of such a donor would transmit variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (vCJD). So the prevalence of infective donors remains unknown, and all precautionary measures are assessed in the context of that fundamental uncertainty.
	The Department commissioned and uses a study by DNV Consulting (London) which assessed the magnitude of the risk from infection with vCJD in blood and blood products. This was published in 2003 and is available at:
	www.dnv.com/news_events/news/2004/riskofinfection fromvariantcjdinblood.asp.
	Based on this, the Department has published its own risk assessments which underpin departmental policy. These can be found on the Department's website at:
	www.dh.gov.uk/en/Publichealth/Communicablediseases/CJD/CJDgeneralinformation/DH_4136944
	Copies of these documents have been placed in the Library.

Departmental Housing

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent estimate he has made of the  (a) potential annual rental and  (b) total book value of the (i) empty and (ii) occupied residential properties owned by his Department.

Phil Hope: The Department currently owns 10 individual residential properties (nine being in one block of which one is occupied). No recent estimate has been made of the potential annual rental value of the block of nine as it is currently in the process of being sold. The estimated annual rental value of the remaining occupied property is £10,800. The current book value of the block of nine is £700,000 and of the individual property £250,000.

Departmental NDPBs

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Health for how many non-departmental public bodies his Department is responsible.  [Official Report, 3 March 2010, Vol. 506, c. 13-14MC.]

Phil Hope: The Department has one agency, 10 executive non-departmental public bodies, nine strategic health authorities and 30 advisory non-departmental public bodies. Further detailed information is contained in the Department of Health's Public Bodies 2009, a copy of which has been placed in the Library. This document is also available on the Department's website:
	www.dh.gov.uk/en/Publicationsandstatistics/Publications/PublicationsPolicyAndGuidance/DH_111365

Health Services: Anguilla

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the number of  (a) Anguillan nationals treated by the NHS and  (b) UK nationals treated in Anguilla under reciprocal healthcare obligations in the last 12 months; and what the estimated cost was in each case.

Gillian Merron: In the last 12 months, there have been no patient referrals from Anguilla to the United Kingdom, incurring no cost to the national health service. The agreement does not provide for referrals from the United Kingdom to Anguilla. Under the agreement, residents of Anguilla and the United Kingdom can access emergency state healthcare in each country, however no reimbursements are sought from either country for treatment provided, and so the data relating to this is not collected centrally.

Health Services: Greater London

Kate Hoey: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will publish the management report on funding for health care in London undertaken for NHS London by McKinsey.

Mike O'Brien: This is a matter for NHS London, I have asked them to reply to the hon. Member.

Health Services: Isle of Man

Colin Challen: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the net financial effect on the NHS of the withdrawal of reciprocal health arrangements with the Isle of Man.

Gillian Merron: It is essential that all bilateral health care agreements represent value for money to the United Kingdom taxpayer. The net financial effect of withdrawing from the bilateral health care agreement with the Isle of Man will be a £2.82 million saving for the national health service.

Health Services: Isle of Man

Andrew MacKinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 20 January 2010,  Official Report, columns 366-7W, on health services: Isle of Man, what types of personal data are contained in the dataset; and if he will publish a version of the dataset with personal data removed.

Gillian Merron: The dataset, originally provided by the Isle of Man Government, contains personal addresses and medical details over a large number of pages. We are therefore not able to publish this information in a redacted form given the disproportionate cost.

Health Services: Overseas Visitors

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what the cost to the NHS of treating non-UK residents for cardiovascular disease was in  (a) the latest period for which figures are available and  (b) each of the last five years;
	(2)  what the cost to the NHS was of treating non-UK residents for HIV in each of the last five years.

Gillian Merron: It is not possible to provide the information requested. Successive governments have not required the national health service to provide statistics on the number of non-United Kingdom residents treated or charged under the provisions of the NHS (Charges to Overseas Visitors) Regulations 1989, as amended, nor costs involved.

Hospitals: Parking

Anne Main: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate his Department has made as part of its consultation on NHS car parking of the annual revenue raised by NHS hospital trusts from parking charges; what estimate it has made of the cost to NHS hospital trusts of providing free car parking; what consideration he is giving to the merits of providing funding to NHS hospital trusts to offset the revenue foregone through the introduction of free car parking; and over what period he expects any policy on introducing free car parking to be implemented.

Mike O'Brien: The consultation exercise on car parking for patients and their families at national health service hospitals estimates that current revenue from NHS patients and visitors is in the range from £140 million to £180 million per annum. Estimated costs for each option can be found in the consultation document and impact assessment, which have been placed in the Library and are available on the Department's website at:
	www.dh.gov.uk/en/consultations/liveconsultations/dh_110557
	Changes to car parking charges will be introduced over the next three years, as savings from back office costs allow.

Human Papilloma Virus: Vaccination

Andrew Robathan: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what reports he has received of  (a) the safety of and  (b) serious adverse reactions to the human papillomavirus vaccine; and if he will make a statement.

Gillian Merron: As of 27 January 2010, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) had received 3,402 suspected adverse reaction (ADR) reports for both human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccines (Cervarix and Gardasil) including 657 serious suspected ADR reports. The MHRA publishes regular weekly summaries of UK safety data on Cervarix, the vaccine in routine use in the United Kingdom, on its website at:
	www.mhra.gov.uk/hpvvaccine
	MHRA takes into consideration European and worldwide safety data when assessing the safety of HPV vaccine in the UK. To date, the vast majority of suspected adverse reactions reported to MHRA in association with Cervarix HPV vaccine have related either to the signs and symptoms of recognised side effects listed in the product information or were due to the injection process and not the vaccine itself. For the isolated cases of other medical conditions reported, the available evidence does not suggest that the vaccine caused the condition and these may have been coincidental events. More than 3.5 million doses of Cervarix vaccine have been given across the UK since September 2008. The Government's independent expert advisory committee, the Commission on Human Medicines, has advised that the balance of risks and benefits of Cervarix remains positive. It is anticipated that HPV vaccine will eventually save up to 400 lives a year. As with any vaccine, the MHRA will continue to closely monitor the safety of Cervarix vaccine.
	The latest vaccine safety summary reports published by the MHRA have been placed in the Library. These are entitled: 'Suspected Adverse Reaction Analysis Cervarix Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine' and 'Suspected Adverse Reaction Analysis Cervarix Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine (brand unspecified)'.

Mental Health Services

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  how many people have made use of NHS counselling services as part of the Improving Access to Psychological Therapies programme in each of the last two years;
	(2)  how many black and ethnic minority people made use of NHS  (a) counselling,  (b) psychotherapy and  (c) psychological therapy services in each of the last five years;
	(3)  how many people have made use of the Improving Access to Psychological Therapies Programme in each of the last three years;
	(4)  if he will make an assessment of the merits of ring-fencing funding for counselling and psychotherapy services in the light of the economic downturn; and if he will make a statement.

Phil Hope: In the first year of the programme, October 2008 to October 2009, 102,693 people accessed Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT) services. This is in line with the plans to see 900,000 people in the first three years of the programme. In year two, we have launched a further 111 sites and by the end of 2010-11 all 152 primary care trusts (PCTs) will have an IAPT service. Information on the number of people accessing psychological therapy services was not collected centrally prior to the IAPT programme.
	We monitor key performance indicators on a quarterly basis but only centrally collect data on the ethnicity of those accessing services as part of the annual IAPT Data Review. This review is due to report in the coming weeks and we expect to publish the results in March 2010.
	The £173 million investment in psychological therapy services has focused on establishing services that are in line with National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) guidelines, thus offering evidence based treatments. Initially this has meant cognitive behavioural therapy has been the focus of the IAPT training programme and therefore the main offer from IAPT services. The recent update of the NICE guidelines for the treatment of depression means that a wider range of therapies, including therapy, couples therapy, interpersonal therapy, counselling, collaborative care and brief dynamic therapy, will soon also be available through IAPT services as they mature.
	The funding for IAPT services has, to date, been through centrally allocated funds. From April 2010, the majority of the central investment will be allocated to all PCTs in their baseline allocation, while new services may receive additional centrally allocated funds as they come on stream in 2010-11. From the outset of the programme it was always envisaged that funding for IAPT services would move to PCTs at the earliest opportunity. The collection and publication of benchmarking data, the monitoring of regional delivery plans and the well established national health service performance framework mean that the ongoing ring-fencing of NHS money is not appropriate.
	The economic downturn has highlighted the need to ensure people have access to psychological therapies and in March 2009 a £13 million package of measures was introduced to respond to the impact the economic downturn may have on people's mental health. Measures introduced include: introducing employment support functions into all IAPT services, the establishment of NHS Stressline, improving the information online about mental well-being and services, establishing IAPT services more quickly and training those working in primary care to better understand and address people's emotional well-being needs.

Mental Health Services: Finance

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health with reference to the answer of 26 November 2009,  Official Report, column 354W, whether the £11 million allocated to primary care trusts for the provision of annual health checks to individuals with learning disabilities is ring-fenced.

Phil Hope: The sums paid to practices under the Learning Disabilities Health Check Scheme Directed Enhanced Service is not ring-fenced, rather primary care trusts (PCTs) will have to meet these costs from within their overall allocations, which increased by 5.5 per cent. on average in 2009-10, as set out in the NHS Operating Framework for that year.

MMR Vaccine

Justine Greening: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the measles, mumps and rubella vaccination rate was for those aged under 18  (a) nationally,  (b) in each region and  (c) in each primary care trust in London in each of the last five years.

Gillian Merron: The uptake rate of the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) and other vaccines is monitored through the COVER (coverage of vaccination evaluated rapidly) collection made by the Health Protection Agency. COVER reports rates of MMR vaccination at the age of two years (for one dose of MMR) and at five years (for one and two doses of MMR). The rate of MMR uptake is not collected after the age of five.
	The following tables show COVER data for the past five financial years.
	Table 1 shows national and regional data (strategic health authorities).
	Table 2 shows data for London primary care trusts (PCTs).
	
		
			   2004-05  2005-06  2006-07 
			   Percentage immunised with  (1 dose) of MMR by age :  Percentage immunised with 1 st  and  2 nd  dose  of  MMR by age :  Percentage immunised with  (1 dose) of MMR by age :  Percentage immunised with 1 st  and  2 nd  dose  of  MMR by age :  Percentage immunised with  (1 dose) of MMR by age :  Percentage immunised with 1 st  and  2 nd  dose  of  MMR by age : 
			   2 yrs  5 yrs  5 yrs  2 yrs  5 yrs  5 yrs  2 yrs  5 yrs  5 yrs 
			 England 81 89 73 84 87 74 85 86 73 
			   
			  Strategic health authority (SHA)  
			 North East 85 92 80 87 91 80 89 88 80 
			 North West 84 91 77 86 90 76 88 89 77 
			 Yorkshire and the Humber 83 91 76 86 89 76 87 90 77 
			 East Midlands 86 93 79 88 91 79 88 90 77 
			 West Midlands 83 92 78 85 90 78 88 89 79 
			 East of England 81 88 76 84 85 76 86 84 74 
			 London 71 79 57 73 77 52 75 76 52 
			 South East 81 88 72 - - - - - - 
			 South East Coast - - - 83 84 71 84 82 71 
			 South Central - - - 86 87 74 88 86 73 
			 South West 80 91 77 86 89 79 87 88 78 
		
	
	
		
			   2007-08  2008-09 
			   Percentage immunised with  (1 dose) of MMR by age :  Percentage immunised with 1 st  and  2 nd  dose  of  MMR by age :  Percentage immunised with  (1 dose) of MMR by age :  Percentage immunised with 1 st  and  2 nd  dose  of  MMR by age : 
			   2 yrs  5 yrs  5 yrs  2 yrs  5 yrs  5 yrs 
			 England 85 87 74 85 89 78 
			
			  Strategic health authority (SHA)   
			 North East 88 92 82 88 93 85 
			 North West 87 91 78 87 93 83 
			 Yorkshire and the Humber 85 89 77 87 92 82 
			 East Midlands 89 91 80 88 92 84 
			 West Midlands 88 90 80 88 91 82 
			 East of England 84 85 75 84 87 78 
			 London 74 75 49 76 81 63 
			 South East - - - - - - 
			 South East Coast 83 84 72 85 87 76 
			 South Central 86 88 75 88 90 79 
			 South West 88 90 82 87 92 83 
			  Note: In 2005-06 South East SHA was divided into South East Coast and South Central as part of the reconfiguration process 
		
	
	
		
			  Percentage  immunis ed by their second and fifth birthday by London PCT 
			2004-05  2005-06  2006-07 
			Percentage immunised with MMR (1 dose) by age:  Percentage immunised with MMR ( 1st  and  2nd  dose) by age:  Percentage immunised with MMR (1 dose) by age:  Percentage immunised with MMR ( 1st  and  2nd  dose) by age:  Percentage immunised with MMR (1 dose) by age:  Percentage immunised with MMR ( 1st  and  2nd  dose) by age: 
			  PCT code  PCT name  2 yrs  5 yrs  5 yrs  2 yrs  5 yrs  5 yrs  2 yrs  5 yrs  5 yrs 
			 5C2 Barking and Dagenham PCT 75 82 70 74 82 66 71 82 60 
			 5A9 Barnet PCT 74 82 56 74 82 58 77 76 60 
			 TAK Bexley Care Trust 66 77 61 72 68 51 74 70 50 
			 5K5 Brent Teaching PCT 80 85 71 80 84 - 79 76 - 
			 5A7 Bromley PCT 67 82 46 73 77 47 77 74 46 
			 5K7 Camden PCT 63 79 52 - - - - - - 
			 5C3 City and Hackney Teaching PCT 71 84 57 - - - - - - 
			 5K9 Croydon PCT 66 78 52 71 81 57 77 85 59 
			 5HX Ealing PCT 78 82 62 83 79 59 75 74 62 
			 5C1 Enfield PCT 72 79 64 - - - 63 72 45 
			 5A8 Greenwich Teaching PCT 69 77 44 59 61 33 71 65 39 
			 5H1 Hammersmith and Fulham PCT 69 81 60 80 81 65 80 79 62 
			 5C9 Haringey Teaching PCT 74 75 55 - - - - - - 
			 5K6 Harrow PCT 90 77 58 86 90 73 84 89 69 
			 5A4 Havering PCT 74 87 76 79 82 71 71 82 60 
			 5AT Hillingdon PCT 74 87 64 77 85 62 78 83 62 
			 5HY Hounslow PCT 81 85 66 82 82 64 82 81 64 
			 5K8 Islington PCT 69 83 62 - - - - - - 
			 5LA Kensington and Chelsea PCT 50 70 33 52 63 - 80 68 39 
			 5A5 Kingston PCT 86 84 67 91 85 72 89 84 75 
			 5LD Lambeth PCT 54 73 46 64 73 48 72 71 44 
			 5LF Lewisham PCT 56 72 43 64 73 47 67 71 48 
			 5C5 Newham PCT 76 77 57 - - - 69 78 41 
			 5NA Redbridge PCT 82 85 75 - - - - - - 
			 5M6 Richmond and Twickenham PCT 74 78 61 78 77 64 80 73 61 
			 5LE Southwark PCT 60 77 48 63 76 50 64 68 47 
			 5M7 Sutton and Merton PCT 78 81 66 82 77 64 92 77 68 
			 5C4 Tower Hamlets PCT 66 79 53 - - - - - - 
			 5NC Waltham Forest PCT 86 87 78 - - - - - - 
			 5LG Wandsworth PCT 72 70 52 63 66 51 64 63 50 
			 5LC Westminster PCT 71 72 12 82 78 - 81 82 59 
		
	
	
		
			2007-08  2008-09 
			Percentage immunised with MMR (1 dose) by age:  Percentage immunised with MMR ( 1st  and  2nd  dose) by age:  Percentage immunised with MMR (1 dose) by age:  Percentage immunised with MMR ( 1st  and  2nd  dose) by age: 
			  PCT code  PCT name  2 yrs  5 yrs  5 yrs  2 yrs  5 yrs  5 yrs 
			 5C2 Barking and Dagenham PCT 77 76 60 73 73 55 
			 5A9 Barnet PCT 74 74 59 80 84 82 
			 TAK Bexley Care Trust 72 73 51 71 78 58 
			 5K5 Brent Teaching PCT 76 78 43 56 60 32 
			 5A7 Bromley PCT 78 - - 82 82 71 
			 5K7 Camden PCT 63 73 - 72 81 51 
			 5C3 City and Hackney Teaching PCT - - - 70 67 37 
			 5K9 Croydon PCT 77 84 64 79 87 71 
			 5HX Ealing PCT 77 85 67 76 85 63 
			 5C1 Enfield PCT 74 70 45 74 78 62 
			 5A8 Greenwich Teaching PCT 64 66 39 68 75 57 
			 5H1 Hammersmith and Fulham PCT 86 89 69 70 81 51 
			 5C9 Haringey Teaching PCT - - - 56 71 38 
			 5K6 Harrow PCT 80 91 66 85 93 79 
			 5A4 Havering PCT 77 82 67 77 82 68 
			 5AT Hillingdon PCT 75 71 - 81 83 70 
			 5HY Hounslow PCT - - - 67 80 53 
			 5K8 Islington PCT 69 75 43 74 83 50 
			 5LA Kensington and Chelsea PCT 86 65 - 86 79 63 
			 5A5 Kingston PCT 83 86 76 86 85 77 
			 5LD Lambeth PCT - - - 74 83 63 
			 5LF Lewisham PCT 61 67 45 74 79 51 
			 5C5 Newham PCT 70 70 42 88 89 80 
			 5NA Redbridge PCT - - - 79 79 66 
			 5M6 Richmond and Twickenham PCT 78 73 61 86 96 82 
			 5LE Southwark PCT 65 73 51 75 77 55 
			 5M7 Sutton and Merton PCT 78 78 68 84 86 79 
			 5C4 Tower Hamlets PCT 78 87 66 82 90 79 
			 5NC Waltham Forest PCT 78 79 49 84 86 72 
			 5LG Wandsworth PCT - - - 86 82 71 
			 5LC Westminster PCT - - - 88 94 81 
			  Note: Some PCTs were not able to provide figures due to problems relating to implementation of new Child Health Systems.

NHS: Drugs

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Health with reference to the answer to the hon. Member for Billericay of 5 November 2009,  Official Report, column 1168W, on drugs, when he expects to receive the report from Professor Sir Mike Richards; and whether he plans to publish the findings of that investigation before April 2010.

Mike O'Brien: We expect to receive the report from Professor Sir Mike Richards shortly. A date has not yet been set for publication.

Prescription Drugs

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  if he will issue guidance on liability in cases where a drug automatically generically substituted by a pharmacist adversely affects a patient and that patient's GP has not informed the pharmacist that such adverse effects are likely;
	(2)  what assessment has been made of the effect of implementation of proposals for automatic generic substitution of medicines on the workload of  (a) clinicians,  (b) pharmacists,  (c) nurse prescribers and  (d) other health professionals; and if he will make a statement.

Mike O'Brien: In developing the proposals and analysis set out in the consultation document The proposals to implement 'Generic Substitution' in primary care, further to the Pharmaceutical Price Regulation Scheme (PPRS) 2009 and its associated partial impact assessment, published on 5 January 2010, the Department was informed by information from stakeholders, including concerns relating to liability. Under the Department's preferred approach (option 3), there are mechanisms for ensuring that patients continue to receive the most appropriate treatment.
	Therefore, we believe the liability risks associated with the proposed generic substitution arrangements should not be any greater than under current prescribing and dispensing arrangements. The Department has not issued guidance on liability for prescribing and does not anticipate that such a need will arise under the generic substitution arrangements.
	The Department's assessment of the overall effect of implementation on the workload of health professionals is set out in the accompanying partial impact assessment.
	We recognise that further evidence may be available in relation to both liability and impact on health professionals' workload, which is why we are holding a full public consultation, to which all those with an interest can input, including patients. The consultation document and partial impact assessment can be found on the Department's website at:
	www.dh.gov.uk/en/consultations/index.htm
	Copies have already been placed in the Library. Details of the consultation events are on the NHS Primary Care Commissioning website at:
	www.pcc.nhs.uk/events

Prescriptions: Fees and Charges

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent progress has been made in implementing the commitment to exempt from prescription charges those with long-term conditions.

Patrick Hall: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when Professor Gilmore's review of prescription charges and his Department's response will be published; and whether asthma is to be included in the list of long-term conditions exempted from charges.

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he plans to exempt from prescription charges those with long-term conditions; what assessment he has made of Sir Ian Gilmore's review of prescription charges; when he expects that review to be published; and if he will make a statement.

Mike O'Brien: Professor Gilmore has now submitted his report on exempting people with long-term conditions from prescription charges to the Department. The recommendations are currently being considered. We will publish our response shortly.

Prescriptions: Fees and Charges

Daniel Rogerson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what progress his Department has made towards exempting from prescription charges patients with long-term medical conditions;
	(2)  when he expects Professor Ian Gilmore's review of prescription charges to be published.

Mike O'Brien: The exemption for cancer patients came in on 1 April 2009. Professor Gilmore has now submitted his report on exempting people with long-term conditions from prescription charges to the Department. The recommendations are currently being considered. We will publish our response shortly.

Social Services: Vulnerable Adults

Sally Keeble: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment his Department made of the quality of reports of serious case reviews on vulnerable adults in each local authority area in the last two years.

Phil Hope: No assessments have been carried by central Government on the quality of reports of serious case reviews. Serious case reviews are commissioned by local Safeguarding Adults Boards (SAB), which are set up by local authorities. SABs have a large number of local members, including representatives from the National Health Service, police and the voluntary sector. Many boards have jointly agreed protocols about when and how to commission a serious case review and will jointly agree terms of reference and will jointly agree the final report.
	The Government have commissioned research by Kings College London and Social Care Workforce Research Unit on serious case reviews, which is on the Department's website at:
	www.dh.gov.uk/en/SocialCare/Deliveringadultsocialcare/Vulnerableadults/Research/index.htm
	A copy has been placed in the Library.
	In response to the Government's consultation on strengthening protection for vulnerable adults, new legislation will be introduced to enshrine in law the need for each local area to work to a statutory SABs and we will set in train a programme of work to lead and support all agencies involved in safeguarding adults. There will also be a new cross Government ministerial group which will oversee the safeguarding of vulnerable adults, set priorities, work up new policy and provide national leadership.

Social Services: Vulnerable Adults

Sally Keeble: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many serious case reviews regarding safeguarding adults have taken place in each local authority in each of the last two years for which figures are available.

Phil Hope: The number of serious case reviews is not currently collected centrally.
	We are informed by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) that, on 25 January 2010, recommendations were made to CQC's safeguarding committee to bring in procedures to collect data on all serious case reviews notified to CQC. Implementation is expected later this year.

Southend University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will visit Southend Hospital Trust to discuss  (a) the time taken by nurses to respond to patient buzzers and  (b) ways of improving standards of care on wards; and if he will make a statement.

Phil Hope: There are currently no plans to visit Southend University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust. Foundation trusts (FTs) are free from central Government control and accountable to Monitor for their operation. Boards are responsible for the day to day management of the trust, setting their own strategies and making their own decisions within a framework of national standards and local accountability. Any concerns or issues relating to the operation of an FT should be directed to the chairman of the organisation and the chairman of Monitor.

Strokes: Health Services

Jim Cousins: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many and what proportion of stroke patients in each primary care trust area received thrombolysis treatment in the latest period figures are available; and when he expects the national target of 10 per cent. to be achieved.

Ann Keen: The latest period for which figures are available is 2008-09, coinciding with the first year of implementation of the stroke strategy, and these data have been placed in the Library. More recent information from the Safe Implementation of Thrombolysis in Stroke database suggests that, between 2007 and 2009, there has been a significant increase in the United Kingdom of the number patients treated with thrombolysis.
	There is no national target for thrombolysis rates. This is a treatment that will only be suitable for a certain proportion of those who experience a stroke. For thrombolysis to be administered safely and with greatest effectiveness a number of conditions must apply, which are characteristic of a high quality stroke service as set out in the national stroke strategy. There has been good progress on all of these quality markers. We have taken steps such as the F.A.S.T campaign to raise awareness of the need to regard stroke as an emergency and the establishment of new elements of the payment by results tariff to give further support to the development of thrombolysis services.

WOMEN AND EQUALITY

Departmental NDPBs

Bob Spink: To ask the Minister for Women and Equality for how many non-departmental public bodies the Government Equalities Office is responsible.

Maria Eagle: The Government Equalities Office sponsors two non-departmental public bodies (NDPB), they are:
	(i) The Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC)
	(ii) The Women's National Commission (WNC)
	The Equality and Human Rights Commission is an executive NDPB which exists under statute and has enforcement powers to stop discrimination whereas the Women's National Commission is an advisory NDPB and brings the voice of women to Government.

Equality and Human Rights Commission

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Minister for Women and Equality with reference to the answer to the hon. Member for Bromley and Chislehurst of 12 October 2009,  Official Report, column 28W, on the Equality and Human Rights Commission, which private sector organisation was given permission to use the resources of the Commission; what payments that organisation made in respect of such usage; whether such usage was approved by a member of the Commission's board; and for what reason permission was given.

Maria Eagle: The Chair of the Commission, Trevor Phillips, was given permission to use Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) offices for meetings in relation to non-Commission business on a maximum of six occasions per year. Since December 2007, only two such meetings were held at Commission premises, both in 2008. Following discussions, it was agreed to terminate this agreement in July 2009. No charge was made for the use of Commission's offices.
	This arrangement was agreed by the former Chief Executive and Accounting Officer of the EHRC, Nicola Brewer.
	This arrangement was made in view of the fact that the Chair was employed on a part-time basis and such use of the Commission building might occasionally be necessary in order to make optimal use of the Chair's time.

CABINET OFFICE

Aviation: Exhaust Emissions

David Drew: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what recent discussions she has had with the Advertising Standards Authority on its powers to verify claims made by airlines that they are able to prove a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions.

Joan Ruddock: I have been asked to reply.
	None. The Advertising Standards Authority is an independent body regulated by the Office of Communications (Ofcom). The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills lead on issues regarding consumer protection, and share policy responsibility for Ofcom with the Department for Culture, Media and Sport.

Electoral Register

Chris Ruane: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what the electoral registration rate was in each constituency in the UK, rated in descending order, in  (a) 1997 and  (b) the latest year for which figures are available.

Angela Smith: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	 Letter from Dennis Roberts, dated January 2010:
	The Director General for the Office for National Statistics has been asked to reply to your question asking what the electoral regulation rate was in each constituency in the UK, rated in descending order, in (a) 1997 and (b) the latest year for which figures are available. I am replying in his absence. (311930)
	The attached table shows the number of people who were registered to vote in parliamentary elections as a percentage of the estimated resident population aged 18 and over for each parliamentary constituency in the UK for 2007. This is the latest year for which estimates of the usually resident population are available by parliamentary constituency for the UK. Comparable figures are not provided for 1997 as population estimates by parliamentary constituency are only published from 2001 onwards. A copy of the table has been placed in the Library of the House.
	These figures should not be interpreted as the electoral registration rate. The population eligible to vote in parliamentary elections includes British Citizens or qualifying Commonwealth citizens resident overseas and excludes foreign citizens (from outside the British Commonwealth and Republic of Ireland) resident within the UK.
	In addition, figures for the registered electorate may be inflated because people who have more than one address may register in more than one place (e.g. students may register at parental and term-time addresses) and electoral registration officers vary in how quickly they remove people from the registers after they have moved away from an area or died. This may lead to percentages of over one hundred per cent and can affect the comparability of figures across parliamentary constituencies.

Public Bodies: Billing

Francis Maude: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office whether an impact assessment has been made of the likely effects on public bodies of EU proposals to fine such bodies for not paying invoices on time.

Rosie Winterton: I have been asked to reply.
	The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills published an impact assessment on the EU proposal for combating late payment in commercial transactions in October 2009. It can be found at:
	http://www.berr.gov.uk/consultations/ria/index.html

Survival Rate: Cancer

David Simpson: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what the survival rate for each type of cancer was in  (a) the UK,  (b) each region of England,  (c) Scotland,  (d) Wales and  (e) Northern Ireland (i) in 2000 and (ii) at the most recent date for which figures are available.

Angela Smith: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	 Letter from Stephen Penneck, dated 1 February 2010:
	As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your recent question asking what the survival rate for each type of cancer was in (a) the UK, (b) each region of England, (c) Scotland, (d) Wales and (e) Northern Ireland (i) in 2000 and (ii) at the most recent date for which figures are available.
	ONS does not produce cancer survival rates for (a) the UK. However, survival rates for breast, cervical and colorectal cancers in the UK for patients diagnosed in 1995-99 and followed up to 2001 were published in 2009 by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) in their 'Health at a Glance' publication.(1) and can be found on the OECD website at:
	http://www.oecd.org/dataoecd/32/7/43947803.xls
	The figures published by OECD for the UK may not be directly comparable with those published by ONS and other organisations for the constituent countries, because of differences in methodology.
	The latest available one- and five-year survival rates for England, for 21 common cancers, for patients diagnosed in 2001-2006 and followed up to the end of 2007, are available on the National Statistics website at:
	http://www.statistics.gov.uk/StatBase/Product.asp?vlnk=14007
	Comparable survival rates for England for each preceding five year period back to 1998-2001 and followed up to 2003 can also be downloaded from this link.
	The latest one- and five-year survival rates for eight common cancers by (b) government office region (and strategic health authority), for patients diagnosed in 1997-1999 and followed up to the end of 2004, are available on the National Statistics website at:
	http://www.statistics.gov.uk/statbase/Product.asp?vlnk=11991
	Comparable survival rates by government office region (and strategic health authority) for each preceding five year period back to 1994-1996 and followed up to 2001 can also be downloaded from this link.
	Cancer survival rates for (c) Scotland are published by the Information Services Division, NHS Services Scotland. One-, three-, five- and ten-year survival rates by age group and period of diagnosis are produced for specific cancers. The latest information for patients diagnosed between 2000 and 2004 can be downloaded from this link:
	http://www.isdscotland.org/isd/183.html
	Cancer survival rates for (d) Wales are published by the Welsh Cancer Intelligence Surveillance Unit. One-, three- and five-year survival rates by period of diagnosis for individual cancers are produced. The latest information can be downloaded from this link:
	http://www.wales.nhs.uk/sites3/page.cfm?orgid=242 pid=28939
	Cancer survival rates for (e) Northern Ireland are published by the Northern Ireland Cancer Registry. One-, three-, five- and seven-year survival rates for the most common cancers are produced. The latest survival rates can be downloaded from this link:
	http://www.qub.ac.uk/research-centres/nicr/Data/Online Statistics/#d.en.26094
	(1) Woods L, Walters S, Steward, J, Gavin A, Cooper N, Brewster D, Coleman MP, Rachet B (2009) Health at a Glance 2009 Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) Indicators: Cancer Survival for the UK: OECD

ENERGY AND CLIMATE CHANGE

Boilers: Wales

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change whether his Department has discussions with the Welsh Assembly Government on the guidance issued by his Department on the operation of the boiler scrappage scheme.

Joan Ruddock: Officials in the Department have shared guidance and analysis on the operation of the boiler scrappage scheme with officials in the Welsh Assembly Government.

Climate Change

David Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what historical data his Department uses in its climate change calculations.

Joan Ruddock: The Department of Energy and Climate Change draws on historical data provided in the published literature and by scientific experts, some under contract, as required.

Departmental Consultants

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how much his Department has spent on strategic consultancy in  (a) 2008-09 and  (b) 2009-10.

Joan Ruddock: The Department for Energy and Climate change has spent nothing on strategic consultancy in either 2008-09 or 2009-10.

Departmental Disclosure of Information

David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change which non-departmental public bodies for which his Department is responsible sell information on a commercial basis to  (a) companies or individuals in the private sector and  (b) other organisations.

Joan Ruddock: The Coal Authority is a public sector data holder and provider accredited by the Information Fair Trader Scheme. It provides a statutory information-provision service on a cost-recovery basis and charges for commercial information-provision at market rates consistent with fair-trade rules. It supplies information to a range of customers including companies, private individuals and other organisations.

Departmental Manpower

Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how many layers of management reporting from the most senior to the most junior there are in his Department; how many officials are employed in each such layer; and how much was spent on salaries and associated employment costs of staff at each such layer in the latest year for which information is available.

Joan Ruddock: The Department of Energy and Climate Change was created in October 2008 with staff from DEFRA and BERR. A single staffing structure was introduced from August 2009. This consists of seven layers below the senior civil service (administrative assistant, administrative officer, executive officer, higher executive officer, senior executive officer, Grade 7 and Grade 6) and four layers within the senior civil service (permanent secretary, director general, director and head of team). There are additionally a number of specialist grades among economists and statisticians-however, these have equivalents within the named layers.
	The Department cannot provide information on staff numbers or salary costs by layer except at disproportionate cost.

Departmental Meetings

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how many meetings he and his officials have had with their Treasury counterparts since December 2009 on the introduction of a feed-in tariff for micro-combined heat and power; and if he will make a statement.

David Kidney: The ministerial team and officials from DECC regularly discuss the development of policies, including the proposed feed-in tariffs policy, with colleagues from other Departments including HM Treasury.

Electricity

Robert Goodwill: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change 
	(1)  what mechanisms are in place to encourage consumers to improve their power factor; and whether he has plans to bring forward proposals for further incentives;
	(2)  if he will make an assessment of the merits of increasing the level of charges levied on consumers for excess reactive power in respect of the likely effects of such an increase on consumers' power factors.

David Kidney: holding answer 21 January 2010
	Business consumers of electricity with poor power factors require more network capacity. This increases the initial cost of connecting to an electricity network and gives such customers an incentive to install power factor correction equipment to reduce these costs-it is for customers however to judge whether the cost of this equipment is justified.
	Reactive energy 'consumption' is highest in industrial premises with poor power factors. Under their licences, electricity distribution network operators (DNOs) must have a common set of cost reflective charging arrangements for lower voltages, including for reactive power, in place by 1 April 2010 (arrangements for the highest voltage levels will be put in place by 1 April 2011).
	Under this common charging methodology, DNOs will be obliged to charge all eligible customers with a poor power factor. Any increase in the level of charges could be expected to improve consumers' power factors and therefore reduce reactive power consumption. However any increase in charges would need to be demonstrated to be cost reflective.

Energy: Prices

Jim Cousins: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what steps he is taking to prevent the closure of social tariff schemes by energy suppliers.

David Kidney: Help with energy bills, including social tariffs and rebates, are some of the support measures that suppliers provide through the voluntary agreement negotiated by Government in 2008. This support has provided real help to the lives of some of the most vulnerable.
	This is why we announced we would place the voluntary agreement on a statutory footing, and increase the resources suppliers are required to make available, when the voluntary agreement ends in March 2011. Primary legislation to enable this is currently before Parliament as part of the Energy Bill, and subject to the successful passage of the Bill we will require suppliers to spend £300 million by 2013-14. This will mean additional help for more of the most vulnerable.

Fuel Poverty

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what estimate he has made of the number of households in  (a) Stroud constituency and  (b) Gloucestershire which (i) were in fuel poverty in the latest period for which figures are available, (ii) have come out of fuel poverty since 1997 and (iii) re-entered fuel poverty since 1997.

David Kidney: In 2006, the most recent year for which sub-regional figures are available, there were around 4,200 fuel poor households in Stroud, and 24,000 fuel poor households living in Gloucestershire. Corresponding figures for 1996 are not available.
	Fuel poverty estimates are derived from a survey, which provides a means of producing aggregate data on numbers of households in fuel poverty, but does not allow for details of individual households moving in to or out of fuel poverty to be monitored, as a different sample of households are surveyed each year.
	In England as a whole, fuel poverty has reduced from 5.1 million households in 1996, to 2.8 million households in 2007.

Government Departments: Energy

Paul Holmes: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change pursuant to the answer of 18 January 2010,  Official Report, column 134W, on government departments: energy, which Departments have  (a) applied for and  (b) been awarded a grant through the (i) Low Carbon Technology Programme and (ii) Salix finance scheme; and how much funding has been awarded to each Government department through each scheme.

Joan Ruddock: holding answer 25 January 2010
	The information requested is as follows:
	(i) The following central Government Departments and their agencies have applied for and been allocated funding from the Low Carbon Technology Programme for 2009-10. Every Department that applied for funding has received some level of funding. The amounts that they have been granted are listed:
	
		
			   Funding (£) 
			 Cabinet Office (including the COI) 873,000 
			 Communities and Local Government (including grants to Government office for the north-east and Government office for the west midlands) 954,000 
			 Ministry of Justice (Crown Prosecution Service) 164,000 
			 Department for Children, Schools and Families 196,000 
			 Department for Transport (Vehicle and Operator Services Agency) 192,000 
			 Department of Health 326,000 
			 Foreign and Commonwealth Office 244,000 
			 HM Revenue and Customs 1,975,000 
			 HM Treasury 18,000 
			 Home Office 591,000 
			 Ministry of Defence (including the Met Office) 8,451,000 
			 Forestry Commission 1,525,000 
		
	
	Although this funding has been allocated to Departments for a range of projects, the actual spend amounts may be different, as the cost of work and capital items may be subject to change.
	(ii) Through the Salix Finance scheme, the following Government Departments have applied for a repayable grant in 2009/10, and have had their applications approved. The Home Office applied for funding but has since withdrawn its application as it has found funding from its own budgets. The Ministry of Defence has applied for funding since the previous PQ was answered.
	
		
			   £ 
			 MOD 2,700,000 
			 DECC 182,000 
			 MOJ (including National Offender Management Service) 2,523,000 
			 DWP 451,000 
			 BIS 516,000 
			 Cabinet Office 1,317,000 
		
	
	These funds have been committed to the Departments by Salix Finance, though final amounts spent may change.

Hinkley Point C Power Station

Ian Liddell-Grainger: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change with reference to his Department's letter to the hon. Member for Bridgwater of 7 December 2009 on Hinkley C, whether the decision on whether proposed associated facilities can be given consent as associated development under the Planning Act 2008 will ultimately be a matter for the Infrastructure Planning Commission.

David Kidney: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State's letter of 7 December 2009 provided general guidance on the nature of associated development and associated facilities, and did not represent specific guidance in relation to the potential application for a new nuclear power station at Hinkley Point C.
	Where a national policy statement has effect, the Planning Act 2008 provides that it is for the Infrastructure Planning Commission to decide whether development is associated development in accordance with s.115 of the Act and having regard to any guidance issued by the Secretary of State. This guidance is currently set out in the 'Guidance on associated development', issued in September 2009, which includes examples of associated facilities and development as set out in Annex A of the following link:
	http://www.communities.gov.uk/documents/planningandbuilding/pdf/guidanceassocdevelopment.pdf
	Where an NPS is not yet designated, the Infrastructure Planning Commission would consider the application for associated development and facilities as part of their consideration of the application before making a recommendation to the Secretary of State for a decision.

Hinkley Point C Power Station

Ian Liddell-Grainger: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change whether the prohibition on obtaining consent for dwellings referred to in his Department's letter to the hon. Member for Bridgwater of 7 December 2009 on Hinkley C extends to  (a) a prohibition on consent for housing falling within Class C3 of the Town and Country Planning (Use Classes) Order 1987 and  (b) a prohibition on the granting of consent under the Planning Act 2009 for construction worker accommodation.

David Kidney: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State's letter of 7 December 2009, provided general guidance on the nature of associated development and associated facilities, and did not represent specific guidance in relation to the potential application for a new nuclear power station at Hinkley Point C.
	Under the Planning Act 2008, a development consent order for nationally significant infrastructure can cover associated development. For these purposes, associated development excludes the construction or extension of one or more dwellings. Where the decision maker is the Infrastructure Planning Commission (IPC), the IPC has to take its decision in accordance with section 115 of the Planning Act 2008 and have regard to the Guidance on associated development, issued by the Secretary of State in September 2009.
	Where an NPS is not yet designated, the Infrastructure Planning Commission would consider the application for associated development and facilities as part of their consideration of the application before making a recommendation to the Secretary of State for a decision.

Industrial Diseases: Compensation

Tom Clarke: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how much has been paid in compensation to coalminers and their families in Coatbridge, Chryston and Bellshill constituency from each of his Department's two major personal injury compensation schemes since May 2005.

David Kidney: The amount of compensation paid to coalminers and their families in Coatbridge, Chryston and Bellshill constituency under Coal Health Compensation schemes for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and vibration white finger (VWF) since May 2005 is shown in the following table.
	
		
			  £ million 
			   COPD  VWF 
			 Total damages paid 3.7 1.3

Micro-Combined Heat and Power

David Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change whether he and his officials have had meetings with colleagues at the Treasury on the introduction of a feed-in tariff for micro-combined heat and power since December 2009; and if he will make a statement.

David Kidney: The DECC ministerial team, DECC officials and I, regularly discuss the development of policies, including the proposed feed-in tariffs policy, with colleagues from other Departments including HM Treasury.

Microgeneration

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change which working groups and committees have been advising his Department on the Microgeneration Certification Scheme.

Joan Ruddock: holding answer 21 January 2010
	The Microgeneration Certification Scheme (MCS) is overseen by the MCS Steering Group and has 10 technical working groups which develop standards and advise the MCS Steering Group on technical matters in relation to microgeneration products and installations.
	Members of the MCS Steering Group represent stakeholders that have a relevant interest in the microgeneration industry. They include representatives of all the key trade associations in the microgeneration industry, consumer groups, UKAS (United Kingdom Accreditation Service), MCS Certification Bodies, SummitSkills, The Energy Saving Trust, The Carbon Trust, manufacturers, devolved Administrations and the Department of Energy and Climate Change.
	The technical working groups report to the MCS Steering Group. They are made up of experts on standards, and other technical experts in each relevant field. Each technical working group has its own chair.
	The 10 MCS technical working groups are:
	WG1 Solar Thermal;
	WG2 Solar Photovoltaic;
	WG3 Wind;
	WG4 Micro Hydro;
	WG5 Biomass;
	WG6 Heat Pumps;
	WG7 Micro CHP;
	WG8 Renewable CHP;
	WG9 Fuel Cells;
	WG10 Roofing Issues.

Microgeneration

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what process was used to elect the Chair of the Microgeneration Certification Scheme; and what the role of the Chair of the Scheme is.

Joan Ruddock: holding answer 21 January 2010
	The Chair of the MCS Steering Group is elected by members of the Microgeneration Certification Scheme (MCS) Steering Group. Members of the MCS Steering Group represent stakeholders that have a relevant interest in the microgeneration industry.
	The election process requires members of the MCS Steering Group to put forward nominations for the post of Chair. Nominees do not have to be members of the MCS Steering Group but must meet criteria appropriate for the post. The Steering Group members are sent ballot papers by post and asked to vote for one nominee. The process is managed by Gemserv, the MCS Administrator.
	The current Chair, Gideon Richards, was appointed by this process on 22 June 2009. The role of the MCS Steering Group Chairman is to chair all MCS Steering Group meetings. He undertakes to put key MCS decisions to a vote of the Steering Group and ensures that new MCS standards, and revisions to MCS standards, are approved by MCS Steering Group members.
	The wider remit of the Chair of the MCS Steering Panel is to ensure that the needs of consumers, industry, certification bodies, manufacturers and other stakeholders are carefully balanced and that the MCS standards are maintained and developed in line with European and international requirements.

Microgeneration

John Pugh: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how many Microgeneration Certification Scheme certificates have been issued to installers.

Joan Ruddock: As of 22 January 2010, Gemserv (MCS Administrator) has issued 519 MCS certificates to installer companies.

Microgeneration

John Pugh: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what estimate he has made of the average cost to an installer of microgeneration products of the steps necessary to attain certification under the Microgeneration Certification Scheme.

Joan Ruddock: The cost for installer companies to become MCS certificated includes a range of variables, such as the type of technology being installed, the certification body's costs, quality assurance systems already in place, as well as other factors. An installer company can contact a MCS certification body-see list of CBs at:
	http://www.microgenerationcertification.org/Certification+Bodies
	to seek an estimate of likely costs for their specific requirements.
	Product certification includes the following elements:
	(a) Manufacturer to ensure that it meets the scheme requirements (MCS standards).
	(b) Factory production control assessment.
	(c) Verification of test protocols.
	Further information is available on the scheme's website:
	http://www.microgenerationcertification.org

Wind Power

Mark Lancaster: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what his Department's estimate is of the number of off-shore wind farms to be licensed over the next 10 years.

David Kidney: It is not possible to estimate the number of licence applications that might be made over the next 10 years for offshore wind farms, because this will depend on the number of projects brought forward by developers. It is also not possible to know how many applications will then receive the necessary development consent orders, as the success of an application depends on a whole range of factors.

HOME DEPARTMENT

Airguns

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many air weapons have been seized by police in each year since 1997.

Alan Campbell: This data is not collected centrally.

Alcoholic Drinks: Prosecutions

Jeremy Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many under 18-year-olds have been  (a) arrested,  (b) cautioned and  (c) prosecuted for alcohol-related offences in each year since 1997.

Alan Campbell: holding answer 27 January 2010
	Information showing the number of offenders aged 10 to 17 years cautioned and proceeded against in England and Wales for alcohol-related offences from 1997 to 2007 (latest available) can be viewed in the following table.
	The information requested on arrests is not collected centrally. The arrests collection held by the Home Office covers arrests for recorded crime (notifiable offences) only, broken down at a main offence group level, covering categories such as violence against the person and robbery.
	Data for 2008 will be available very soon.
	
		
			  N umber of persons aged 10 to 17 years cautioned and the number of persons proceeded against at magistrates courts for alcohol related offences( 1) , England and Wales, 1997 to 2007 
			   Cautioned( 2,3)  Proceeded against( 4) 
			 1997 3,325 3,324 
			 1998 3,102 3,339 
			 1999 2,677 3,579 
			 2000 2,428 3,869 
			 2001 2,337 4,209 
			 2002 2,129 4,081 
			 2003 2,440 4,324 
			 2004 2,550 3,988 
			 2005 1,927 3,321 
			 2006 1,535 3,188 
			 2007 1,664 3,380 
			 (1) Includes offences of: Drunkenness, simple; Drunkenness, with aggravation; Offence by licensed person, etc.; Driving after consuming alcohol or taking drugs. Other offences against Intoxicating Liquor Laws.  (2) From 1 June 2000 the Crime and Disorder Act 1998 came into force nationally and removed the use of cautions for persons under 18 and replaced them with reprimands and warnings. These figures have been included in the totals.  (3) The cautions statistics relate to persons for whom these offences were the principal offences for which they were dealt with. When a defendant has been cautioned for two or more offences at the same time the principal offence is the more serious offence.  (4) The prosecutions statistics relate to persons for whom these offences were the principal offences for which they were dealt with. When a defendant has been found guilty of two or more offences the principal offence is the offence for which the heaviest penalty is imposed. Where the same disposal is imposed for two or more offences, the offence selected is the offence for which the statutory maximum penalty is the most severe.   Note:  Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used.   Source:  Justice Statistics Analytical Services-Ministry of Justice.

Asylum: Rape

Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what  (a) national guidelines and  (b) international agreements apply to women seeking asylum who have been rape victims; what account is taken of the provisions of such guidelines and agreements in assessing such applications; in what circumstances such women may be deported if their asylum applications fail; and what (i) support and (ii) advice is provided for such women who are held in immigration removal centres.

Phil Woolas: All asylum and human rights claims, including those from women who assert they have been, or fear becoming, victims of rape are carefully considered in accordance with the UK's obligations under the 1951 refugee convention and the European convention on human rights (ECHR) and the UK's immigration rules. Every case is considered on its individual merits in the light of country of origin information based upon published and respected sources which are regularly reviewed and updated.
	Although gender is not listed as a basis on which asylum can be sought under the 1951 convention, in some cases gender may be a factor in recognising membership of a particular social group or an identifying characteristic of such a group and there are forms of harm that are more frequently or only used against women and which may amount to persecution.
	The UK Border Agency's case owner foundation training programme covers gender issues in the asylum claim and in addition case owners receive instruction on dealing sensitively with asylum applicants who claim to have been tortured or raped. There is specific written guidance for asylum decision makers on gender issues and victims of trafficking.
	Where a decision has been made that a person does not require international protection, and there are no remaining rights of appeal or obstacles to their return, we expect unsuccessful asylum seekers to return voluntarily to their country of origin. If they do not return voluntarily we may seek to enforce their return.
	All detainees arriving at an immigration removal centre are advised of their right to legal representation and how such representation can be obtained within 24 hours of arrival, and they are able to apply for bail as often as they wish.
	Advice and support available to detainees held at Yarl's Wood, the main removal centre for women and families, include:
	twice-weekly legal advice surgeries funded by the Legal Services Commission;
	two full-time welfare officers;
	pastoral care provided by the on-site religious team;
	an on-site counsellor; and
	weekly focus groups where detainees can raise any concerns/issues/topics.

Borders: Personal Records

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the estimated number of passenger movements  (a) into and  (b) from the UK was in each of the last five years; and what percentage of them were subject to (i) an entry and (ii) an exit check.

Alan Johnson: holding answer 14 December 2009
	This capability is currently being rolled out through the e-Borders programme. We estimate that e-Borders is currently tracking, in advance of travel, 100 million passengers annually, which is equivalent to 45 to 50 per cent. of all passenger movements into and out of the UK. This figure is pending formal verification by statisticians.
	The estimated numbers of passenger movements into and out of the UK by air, sea and Channel Tunnel are compiled by the Department for Transport and are available in their publication Transport Statistics Great Britain: 2009 Edition, which can be found at the following weblink:
	http://www.dft.gov.uk/pgr/statistics/datatablespublications/tsgb/
	A copy is available in the House Library.
	Over the last five years the total estimated numbers of passenger arrivals and departures by air, sea and Channel Tunnel are as follows:
	
		
			  Total number of passenger movements 
			  Million 
			   Air  Sea  Channel Tunnel  Total 
			 2004 167.1 26.6 15.1 208.8 
			 2005 178.0 24.7 15.5 218.2 
			 2006 185.4 24.5 15.5 225.4 
			 2007 192.0 24.8 16.2 233.0 
			 2008 189.8 24.3 16.3 230.4 
			  Source: Transport Statistics Great Britain: 2009 Edition-Table 2.2b (air), Table 5.11 (sea) and Table 6.8 (Channel Tunnel) 
		
	
	All passengers who seek entry or admission to the UK are subject to entry checks at the Border before being allowed into the UK.
	Embarkation checks at the Border are carried out on an intelligence led basis. UKBA does not routinely record the numbers of passengers processed during these operations.

Closed Circuit Television: Local Government

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what guidance his Department and its agencies has given to local authorities on the use of CCTV cameras fitted with microphones.

Alan Campbell: No guidance has been issued by the Home Office. However, the Information Commissioner has included guidance on the use of CCTV cameras with microphones in his CCTV code of practice.
	The code of practice offers guidance to all operators of CCTV cameras to ensure compliance with the Data Protection Act 1998. In addition, the Information Commissioner's Office provides guidance to any Data Controller in response to specific queries, which could include queries relating to the operation of CCTV cameras.

Departmental Internet

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much his Department spent on its website in 2009-10.

Alan Johnson: The Home Office website is
	www.homeoffice.gov.uk
	The amount spent on the main site and Home Office sub-sites is forecast to be £762,000 for the 2009-10 financial year.

Departmental Public Expenditure

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 18 January 2010,  Official Report, column 32W, on departmental public expenditure, what forms of advertising the £2,453,007 spent in respect of the immigration points-based system was spent on.

Alan Johnson: holding answer 26 January 2010
	The introduction of the points based system (PBS) was a fundamental overhaul of our immigration system. In February 2008, the Home Office launched an advertising campaign to raise awareness of this among employers, and make them aware of their new obligations. The campaign consisted of three phases:
	Phase one ran from 29 February to 31 March 2008. Advertising ran in national and trade press, on commercial radio and online.
	Phase two: 21 July to 21 September 2008. This phase of the campaign included TV, radio, trade press, online and e-newsletter advertising, along with some direct mail (online and trade press continued into November).
	Phase three: 19 January to 2 February 2009 consists of trade press advertising and online display advertising (trade and national press sites). There was also an online search optimisation programme that ran throughout January and February.

Departmental Public Expenditure

Jim Cousins: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what expenditure his Department has incurred on plans for the containment of the effects of nuclear, biological and chemical agent contamination in each of the last three years; and what estimate he has made of such expenditure in 2009-10.

David Hanson: We do hold figures specifically on the containment of the effects of contamination. Expenditure on work to respond to and recover from a chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear (CBRN) terrorist attack, including containment of the effects of contamination, was: £57.5 million in 2007-08; £56.2 million in 2008-09; and £56.1 million in 2009-10 to date.

Departmental Training

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many sessions of media training were organised for Ministers in his Department in each of the last three years.

Phil Woolas: The number of media sessions that Ministers of the Home Department have attended over the last three years comes to a total of four.

DNA: Databases

Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many samples not linked to a personal profile there were on the National DNA Database on the latest date for which figures are available.

Alan Campbell: If this question refers to the number of crime scene sample profiles on the National DNA Database (NDNAD) that have not matched to a subject sample profile, then at 31 December 2009, there were 354,132 crime scene sample profiles on the NDNAD which had been submitted by police forces in England and Wales. Of these, 144,522 had not matched with a subject profile.
	The data provided are management information and have not been formally assessed for compliance with the Code of Practice for Official Statistics.

Entry Clearances

Evan Harris: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what proportion of appeals against visa refusal decisions made by the  (a) Nairobi and  (b) Islamabad visa section were allowed in (i) January 2009, (ii) April 2009, (iii) July 2009 and (iv) October 2009.

Phil Woolas: The information requested is given in the following tables. Immigration statistics for October 2009 will be published on 25 February.
	UKBA monitors closely the reasons why appeals were overturned and uses the information to improve decision making quality.
	
		
			  Nairobi 
			 Allowed appeals 
			  Post  Report year  Report month  Number  Percentage 
			 Nairobi 2009 January 17 31 
			 Nairobi 2009 April 42 49 
			 Nairobi 2009 July 30 28 
		
	
	
		
			  Islamabad 
			 Allowed appeals 
			  Post  Report year  Report month  Number  Percentage 
			 Islamabad 2009 January 1,375 54 
			 Islamabad 2009 April 1,426 43 
			 Islamabad 2009 July 1,142 46

Entry Clearances: Overseas Students

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will place in the Library a copy of his Department's guidance to immigration officials relating to admission policy at port of entry for students where the authenticity of the documentation supplied is under question.

Phil Woolas: I have arranged for the general guidance available to Border Force Officers who encounter passengers presenting suspect passports and travel documentation, to be placed in the Library.
	Where a Border Force Officer has concerns regarding the documentation presented by a passenger, they will refer to a specially trained Forgery Officer. If it is established that a document is not genuine, or that the passenger is not entitled to hold it, they will be refused leave to enter.

Entry Clearances: Overseas Students

Virendra Sharma: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether applicants from South Asia for visas to study in the UK received a face-to-face interview prior to the issue of a visa from the beginning of December 2008 to December 2009.

Phil Woolas: All applicants for a visa must attend a centre to provide fingerprints, photographs and other information. Our key principle is to lock in identity by biometrics. Entry Clearance Officers retain the option of requiring the applicant to attend an interview.

Entry Clearances: Tourism

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 18 January 2009,  Official Report, columns 44-5W, on visas: tourism, what the pilot schemes demonstrated to be the single most important driver to encouraging tourist visa applications.

Phil Woolas: The pilot schemes identified no single most important driver to encourage tourist visa applications.

EU Immigration

Paul Holmes: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent assessment he has made of the effectiveness of co-operation between his Department and EU institutions on immigration  (a) policy and  (b) operations.

Phil Woolas: The Home Office is continuously engaged in close and effective cooperation with the EU institutions.
	In the last six months the Home Office has successfully negotiated the next five-year EU work programme on Justice and Home Affairs, known as the Stockholm Programme, which reflects many UK priorities in the area of immigration and asylum policy.
	We also engage in valuable practical and operational co-operation with EU partners, for example:
	access to the Eurodac database, which has allowed the UK to remove over 8,850 asylum seekers to other member states since 2004;
	negotiation of Readmission agreements between the EU and third countries to effect returns of illegal immigrants;
	joint operations to protect EU borders organised by Frontex, the European Border Agency;
	participating in visits to Ghana, Nigeria, Belarus and Kenya to enhance dialogue on migration issues and leading the first successful 'cooperation platform on migration' with Ethiopia to help build its capacity to tackle illegal immigration and human trafficking.

Graffiti: Coventry

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps the Government have taken to reduce the incidence of graffiti in Coventry in the last 12 months.

Alan Campbell: The Government have provided practitioners in all areas with a wide range of tools and powers to tackle anti-social behaviour including graffiti. For example we have introduced a ban on the sale of spray paints to under 16's in an attempt to tackle the source of the problem by taking away the means to graffiti. Local agencies can also take action against perpetrators by using a variety of antisocial behaviour interventions such as acceptable behaviour contracts and antisocial behaviour orders that can specifically prohibit individuals from doing certain things such as buying or possessing spray cans and visiting certain areas at certain times. We know that the tools and powers work and many areas are using them effectively to make a difference in local communities.
	Coventry Community Safety Partnership has an overarching strategy and action plan to tackle and reduce antisocial behaviour (ASB) in the city, which has been developed and is delivered through a range of agencies who are members of a Coventry ASB strategic group. Coventry ASB Team utilises the full range of the tools and powers available to tackle antisocial behaviour. In addition Coventry's ASB action plan include tackling environmental crime, committed for example through fly tipping, graffiti and waste disposal: this is delivered by the enviro crime unit and city services action plans.

Homicide

Dominic Grieve: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many offences were recorded as homicide committed by a stranger attributable to quarrel, revenge or loss of temper in each year since 1997-98.

Alan Campbell: Available information is from the Homicide Index and relates to the number of homicides recorded by police in England and Wales (including British Transport Police where the offence was committed in England or Wales). The latest homicide chapter, published on 21 January 2010 and available at:
	http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/pdfs10/hosb0110.pdf
	looks at the position as at 24 November 2009. Included within this is a breakdown of currently recorded homicides by relationship of victim to principal suspect and apparent circumstances of offence for the period 1998-99 to 2008-09 (Table 1.06). This is reproduced in the following table, extended to include offences recorded in 1997-98.
	
		
			  Offences currently( 1)  recorded as homicide by apparent circumstances and relationship of victim to principal suspect: England and Wales 1997-98 to 2008-09( 2) 
			  Number 
			   Year offence initially recorded as homicide( 2) 
			  Apparent circumstances( 3)  1997-98  1998-99  1999-2000  2000-01  2001-02  2002-03  2003-04  2004-05  2005-06  2006-07  2007-08  2008-09 
			  Acquaintance 
			 Quarrel, revenge or loss of temper 255 249 176 220 232 195 213 225 172 211 254 229 
			 In furtherance of theft or gain 11 14 7 7 15 11 20 14 16 12 16 21 
			 Attributed to acts of terrorism(5) 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 While attempting to restrain or arrest individual(6) 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 The result of offences of arson 1 1 1 2 4 1 7 7 4 6 6 5 
			 Other circumstances(7) 37 32 46 59 59 55 33 53 29 48 54 22 
			 Irrational act(8) 30 18 16 12 19 26 23 27 11 15 23 19 
			 Not known(9) 51 85 118 111 85 116 109 107 110 88 82 79 
			 Total 385 399 364 411 414 404 405 433 342 380 435 375 
			  
			  Stranger( 4) 
			 Quarrel, revenge or loss of temper 73 73 73 90 114 97 105 94 77 108 135 117 
			 In furtherance of theft or gain 32 30 28 84 45 37 31 28 24 19 34 24 
			 Attributed to acts of terrorism(5) 0 0 3 0 0 0 0 0 52 0 0 0 
			 While attempting to restrain or arrest individual(6) 1 0 2 2 0 4 1 1 0 1 2 0 
			 The result of offences of arson 1 0 3 4 6 9 5 16 7 4 6 1 
			 Other circumstances(7) 29 47 50 48 56 232 78 58 51 38 46 39 
			 Irrational act(8) 4 3 1 0 4 5 4 9 3 11 5 6 
			 Not known(9) 82 90 148 126 156 155 142 141 155 155 90 89 
			 Total 222 243 308 354 381 539 366 347 369 336 318 276 
			  
			  All relationships( 4) 
			 Quarrel, revenge or loss of temper 328 322 249 310 346 292 318 319 249 319 389 346 
			 In furtherance of theft or gain 43 44 35 91 60 48 51 42 40 31 50 45 
			 Attributed to acts of terrorism(5) 0 0 3 0 0 0 0 0 52 0 0 0 
			 While attempting to restrain or arrest individual(6) 1 0 2 2 0 4 1 1 0 1 2 0 
			 The result of offences of arson 2 1 4 6 10 10 12 23 11 10 12 6 
			 Other circumstances(7) 66 79 96 107 115 287 111 111 80 86 100 61 
			 Irrational act(8) 34 21 17 12 23 31 27 36 14 26 28 25 
			 Not known(9) 133 175 266 237 241 271 251 248 265 243 172 168 
			 Total 607 642 672 765 795 943 771 780 711 716 753 651 
			 (1) As at 24 November 2009; figures are subject to revision as cases are dealt with by the police and by the courts, or as further information becomes available.  (2) Data are shown according to the year in which they were initially recorded as homicide by police. This is not necessarily the year in which the offence took place or the year in which any court decisions were made.  (3) In some cases, the circumstances of a homicide could be classified in more than one row in the table and an assessment has been made of the principal circumstances, against which the offence is shown.  (4) Including cases where there is no suspect.  (5) Offences attributed to acts of terrorism include all bombings and political assassinations so attributed even where there is no individual suspect and also other homicides where there are strong grounds for believing that the suspects were terrorists. All 52 homicides recorded in 2005-06 relate to the 7 July London bombings.  (6) Homicides while attempting to restrain or arrest individual only include cases where a police officer or a person actively assisting a police officer was killed. Cases in which an innocent bystander was killed during an arrest, or where it is thought that a member of the public may have been killed while attempting to apprehend the killer for some offence when no police officer was present, are included in other circumstances. (7) It is not possible to show separately offences committed in the course of furtherance of a sexual attack as there is often insufficient information available.  (8) The presented category irrational act no longer includes cases where circumstances were considered to be motiveless.  (9) Includes cases where no rational motive has been identified. Where no suspect has been found it is not always possible to establish the circumstances in which a homicide was committed or the reason for its commission.

Homicide

Dominic Grieve: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people convicted of homicide in each year since 1997-98 had previously been convicted of homicide; and what the  (a) name of the offender,  (b) date of first offence,  (c) sentence for first offence,  (d) release date,  (e) date of second offence and  (f) sentence for second offence was in each case.

Jack Straw: I have been asked to reply.
	Much of the requested information is available from the Home Office's Homicide Index, which holds information about all offences initially recorded as homicide by police in England and Wales. Latest available statistics are presented in the Home Offices Statistics Bulletin Homicides, Firearm Offences and Intimate Violence 2008/09, released on 21 January 2010 and which can be found at:
	http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/pdfsl0/hosb0110.pdf.
	The term homicide covers the offences of murder, manslaughter and infanticide.
	Table 1 replicates part of Table 1.11 from this Bulletin. It reflects the position as at 24 November 2009 and shows the numbers of suspects who were convicted of a homicide offence that had been recorded between 1998-99 and 2008-09 and who had previously been convicted of a homicide offence. The data includes all previous homicide convictions (where known) wherever they took place, but the second offence must have occurred in England and Wales to be included in this analysis.
	
		
			  Table 1: Suspects convicted of homicide, 1998-99 to 2008-09, who had been convicted of homicide on a previous occasion, by year in which second homicide offence was committed, England and Wales( 1,2) 
			  Year in which second homicide offence was recorded  Number of offenders 
			 1998-99 1 
			 1999-2000 8 
			 2000-01 1 
			 2001-02 0 
			 2002-03 2 
			 2003-04 4 
			 2004-05 4 
			 2005-06 8 
			 2006-07 2 
			 2007-08 1 
			 2008-09 0 
			 Total 31 
			 (1) Data are as at 24 November 2009; figures are subject to revision as cases are dealt with by the police and by the courts, or as further information becomes available.  (2) Data are shown according to the year in which police initially recorded the offence as homicide, which is not necessarily the year in which the offence took place or the year in which any court decision was made. 
		
	
	According to data held on the Homicide Index, two of these offenders received indeterminate sentences for public protection for their second homicide offences, one received an immediate custodial sentence of 14 years, and a fourth received a Restriction Order under the Mental Health Act 1983. The remainder received life sentences.
	Table 2 shows, for the offenders covered in Table 1, the year in which their previous homicide offence was recorded.
	
		
			  Table 2: Suspects convicted of homicide, 1998-99 to 2008-09, who had been convicted of homicide on a previous occasion, by year in which first homicide offence was committed, England and Wales( 1,2) 
			  Year in which first homicide offence was recorded  Number of offenders 
			 1971 1 
			 1973 1 
			 1975 1 
			 1977 1 
			 1979 3 
			 1982 1 
			 1983 1 
			 1985 1 
			 1986 1 
			 1988 1 
			 1989 1 
			 1991 2 
			 1992 1 
			 1993 4 
			 1996 2 
			 1997 2 
			 1998 2 
			 2000 2 
			 2001 2 
			 2002 1 
			 Total 31 
			 (1) Data are as at 24 November 2009; figures are subject to revision as cases are dealt with by the police and by the courts, or as further information becomes available.  (2) Data are shown according to the year in which police initially recorded the offence as homicide, which is not necessarily the year in which the offence took place or the year in which any court decision was made. 
		
	
	One of the offenders shown in Table 2 received a Restriction Order for his first homicide offence. For a further three offenders the custodial sentence lengths are not recorded on the Homicide Index. The custodial sentences given to the remaining offenders are shown in Table 3.
	
		
			  Table 3: Suspects convicted of homicide, 1998-99 to 2008-09, who had been convicted of homicide on a previous occasion, by length of custodial sentence on previous occasion, England and Wales 
			  Sentence length for first occasion  Number of offenders 
			 Over 12 months and up to and including  18 months 2 
			 Over 18 months and up to and including three years 0 
			 Over three years and less than four years 1 
			 Four years 3 
			 Over four years and up to and including five years 4 
			 Over five years and up to and including  10 years 4 
			 Over 10 years and less than life 1 
			 Indeterminate sentence 0 
			 Life 12 
		
	
	None of the 31 offenders identified on the Homicide Index as having been convicted of homicide between 1998-99 and 2008-09 with a previous homicide conviction, have been released from prison, according to data held by the Ministry of Justice.
	Under the Data Protection Act 1998 we are unable to release personal information about individual offenders.

Hotels

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many hotel room bookings were made  (a) by his Department and  (b) on his Department's behalf in 2009; what the cost was to his Department of such bookings; and what estimate he has made of the cost of agents' fees in connection with such bookings; and if he will make a statement.

Alan Johnson: All hotel bookings by and on behalf of the Home Department, United Kingdom Border Agency (UKBA) and Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) are made through our currently contracted agents. The total number of hotel room bookings for 2009 were 40,229.
	The cost to the Department, UKBA and CRB of hotel bookings was £3,672,695, equating to an average room rate of £91.
	For the period from January to November 2009 (December 2009 information is not yet available), the total fee of the third party agents relating to booking hotel accommodation for Home Office headquarters, CRB and UKBA is estimated as £144,469.
	Information on the number of hotel room nights booked by the Identity and Passport Service (IPS) for 2009 can be obtained only at disproportionate cost. The total cost of hotel bookings to IPS for 2009 was £1,169,066.47.
	IPS does not pay any third party agent booking fees for booking hotel accommodation.
	Expenditure is incurred in accordance with the principles of Managing Public Money and the Treasury handbook on Regularity and Propriety.

Human Trafficking

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps his Department has taken to inform the public about methods of informing authorities about suspected victims of trafficking.

Alan Campbell: The UK Human Trafficking Centre's 'Blue Blindfold' campaign has been used to raise awareness of trafficking and to encourage people to report suspicions to Crimestoppers or the police. Campaigns have been held in Westminster, Nottingham, Leeds and Bristol. Information is also available on-line
	www.blueblindfold.co.uk

Human Trafficking: Children

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many potential victims of trafficking under the age of 18 years have been accommodated by local authorities in each year since 1999.

Alan Campbell: Information on the number of potential child trafficking victims accommodated by local authorities in each year since 1999 is not recorded centrally. However since the National Referral Mechanism came into operation on 1 April 2009, and up to 31 December 2009, centrally held data shows that 81 potential victims of trafficking under the age of 18 were accommodated by local authorities.

Independent Safeguarding Authority

Francis Maude: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate he has made of the number of applications the Independent Safeguarding Authority will process in its first 12 months.

Meg Hillier: For the period July 2010 to 31 March 2011 we currently forecast that approximately 1,100,000 individuals will apply to become ISA-registered through the Criminal Records Bureau. It is forecast that there will be relevant information on approximately 30,000 of these applicants which the ISA will need to consider. It is further estimated that the ISA will receive an additional 21,000 referrals from employers and other regulatory bodies or auto-bar cases that will also require its consideration.

Members: Correspondence

Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he plans to reply to the letter of 9 November 2009 from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton with regard to Ms S. Riaz.

Alan Johnson: On 29 September, my right hon. Friend wrote a letter on behalf of Mr. Frederick Opoku, to which I issued a response on 10 November. His
	subsequent letter of 9 November on behalf of Mr. Opoku's representative (Ms Riaz) was not responded to as the query was answered in the reply of 10 November.
	On 30 November, my right hon. Friend wrote a further letter on behalf of Mr. Opoku, to which I issued a detailed response on 12 January.

Members: Correspondence

Greg Hands: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when the UK Border Agency plans to respond to the letter from the hon. Member for Hammersmith and Fulham dated 3 November 2009, on behalf of his constituent, Mr Bujar Mehmeti.

Phil Woolas: The UK Border Agency wrote to the hon. Member on 8 January 2010.

National Identity Register

Francis Maude: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether  (a) biometric and  (b) personal data of individuals stored on the National Identity Register will be removed from the Register if (i) they die and (ii) they decide not to renew their identity card.

Meg Hillier: Information will be retained for as long as is necessary, but only where it is consistent with the statutory purposes set out in the Identity Cards Act 2006. For example, the Identity Cards Act 2006 provides that the date of death may be held on the National Identity Register. This information may be required to help prevent an individual's identity being stolen after death.

Police: Security

Ian Liddell-Grainger: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what normal level of security clearance is required for UK nationals involved in dealing with human resources for police forces.

David Hanson: The Association of Chief Police Officers provides vetting guidelines for the Police Service. Individual police forces are responsible for undertaking police vetting at a suitable level for the role. Levels of security for particular posts are a decision for individual chief police officers.

Prisoners: Foreigners

Alan Duncan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many foreign national prisoners have been detained under immigration powers in  (a) immigration removal centres and  (b) prison for over 12 months.

Phil Woolas: In 2009, for an average month, approximately 550 foreign national prisoners were detained in prison beyond the end of their sentence-so called time-served prisoners. In addition, for an average month, approximately 1,250 foreign national prisoners were detained in a UK Border Agency Removal Centre (IRC) (including Dover, Haslar and Lindholme). Of these two cohorts, for an average month in 2009, approximately a fifth is likely to have been detained for more than a year after the end of their sentence. This detention will have been in a prison, an IRC or a combination of both.

Protective Clothing

Jim Cousins: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many  (a) nuclear,  (b) biological and  (c) chemical agent contamination protective clothing kits were available to civil authorities at the latest date for which figures are available.

David Hanson: The Home Office has provided over 28,000 protective suits to the police services. Fire and ambulance services currently have over 17,000 and 12,000 suits respectively. Each of the emergency responders has different personal protective equipment suits, designed to meet their specific and differing needs.

Racial Harassment: Preston

Mark Hendrick: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what measures for the prevention of racial harassment his Department has introduced since 1997; and how many times these powers have been used in Preston.

Alan Campbell: Since 1997, the Government have introduced the following pieces of legislation to tackle racial harassment: the Crime and Disorder Act 1998 (as amended by the Anti-Terrorism, Crime and Security Act 2001); the Race Relations Act 2000, and the Criminal Justice Act 2003. The figures on the use of the powers relevant to this group of legislation are available at police force area level only. Therefore, the data in the following table provides information on Lancashire police force area and are reflective of the steps that both central and local government are taking to address significant underreporting of hate crime, including racist hate crime.
	
		
			  Number of defendants proceeded against at the magistrates courts for selected offences in the Lancashire police force area, 1998 to 2007( 1, 2) 
			  Description  Statute  1998  1999  2000  2001  2002  2003  2004  2005  2006  2007 
			 Racially aggravated wounding or inflicting grievous bodily harm (inflicting bodily injury with or without weapon) Offences against the Person  Act 1861 s.20 as amended by Crime and Disorder Act 1998 s.2991)(a) and (2) - - 2 1 - - 1 - - - 
			 
			 Racially aggravated actual bodily harm (assaults occasioning ABH) Offences against the Person Act 1861 s.47 as amended by Crime and Disorder Act 1998 s.29(1)(b) and (2) - 4 10 9 10 12 8 11 15 20 
			 
			 Racially Aggravated Common Assault Crime and Disorder Act 1998 s.29(1)(c) and (3) 1 3 11 14 20 27 43 36 35 68 
			 
			 Racially aggravated intentional harassment, alarm or distress Public Order Act 1986 s.4A as amended by Crime and Disorder Act 1998 s.31(1)(b) and (4) - 6 13 16 22 20 25 29 74 69 
			 
			 Racially Aggravated Offence of Harassment Protection from Harassment Act 1997 s.2 as amended by Crime and Disorder Act 1998 s.32(1)(a) and (3) - - 3 3 7 16 11 11 4 4 
			 
			 Racially Aggravated putting people in fear of violence Protection from Harassment Act 1997 s.4 as amended by Crime and Disorder Act 1998 s.32(1)(b) and (4) - - 3 3 2 1 - 2 1 1 
			 
			 Racially or religiously aggravated malicious wounding or GBH Offences Against the Person Act 1861 s.20 as amended by Crime and Disorder Act 1998 s.29(1)(a) and (2) - - - - - 5 3 4 12 8 
			 
			 Racially or religiously aggravated ABH Offences Against the Person Act 1861 s.47 as amended by Crime and Disorder Act 1998 s.29(1)(b) and (2) - - - - - 7 1 2 1 1 
			 
			 Racially or religiously aggravated common assault Common Law and Crime and Disorder Act 1998 s.29(1)(c) and (3) - - - - - 1 3 2 8 11 
			 
			 Racially or religiously aggravated intentional harassment, alarm or distress Public Order Act 1986 s.4A as amended by Crime and Disorder Act 1998 s.31(1)(b) and (4) - - - - - 3 1 13 6 10 
			 
			 Racially or religiously aggravated offence of harassment Protection from Harassment Act 1997 s.2 as amended by Crime and Disorder Act 1998 s.32(1) - - - - - - 1 1 - 1 
			 
			 Racially or religiously aggravated putting people in fear of violence Protection from Harassment Act 1997 s.4 as amended by Crime and Disorder Act 1998 s.32(1) - - - - - - - 1 1 - 
			 
			 Racially aggravated other criminal damage Criminal Damage Act 1971 s.1(1) as amended by Crime and Disorder Act 1998 s.30(1) and (2) 1 7 6 25 24 31 21 22 34 25 
			 
			 Racially or religiously aggravated other criminal damage Criminal Damage Act 1971 s.1(1) as amended by Crime and Disorder Act 1998 s.30(1) and (2) - - - - 1 3 3 3 1 5 
			 
			 Racially aggravated fear or provocation of violence Public Order Act 1986 s.4 as amended by Crime and Disorder Act 1998 s.31(1 )(a) and (4) - 11 22 39 62 50 50 46 42 45 
			 
			 Racially or religiously aggravated fear or provocation of violence Public Order Act 1986 s.4 as amended by Crime and Disorder Act 1998 s.31(1)(a) and (4) - - - - - - 3 2 10 5 
			 
			 Racially aggravated harassment, alarm or distress Public Order Act 1986 s.5A as added by Crime and Disorder Act 1998 s.31 (1)(c) and 5 4 24 51 80 63 97 100 130 199 175 
			 
			 Racially or religiously aggravated harassment, alarm or distress Public Order Act 1986 s.4A as added by Crime and Disorder Act 1998 s.31 (1)(c) and (5) - - - - - 4 7 14 23 19 
			 
			 Total  6 55 121 190 211 277 281 329 466 467 
			 (1) The figures given in the table on court proceedings relate to persons for whom these offences were the principal offences for which they were dealt with. When a defendant has been found guilty of two or more offences it is the offence for which the heaviest penalty is imposed. Where the same disposal is imposed for two or more offences, the offence selected is the offence for which the statutory maximum penalty is the most severe. (2) Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used.  Source: Justice Statistics Analytical Services-Ministry of Justice.

Serious Organised Crime Agency: Manpower

Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many Serious Organised Crime Agency warranted officers were based in each overseas country on 1 December 2009.

Alan Campbell: The Serious Organised Crime Agency has approximately 140 officers based overseas. Their specific locations cannot be disclosed for reasons of operational sensitivity.
	SOCA officers are not designated as 'warranted'. They are designated as having the powers of a police officer, an immigration officer or the customs powers of revenue and customs. They do not exercise those powers while based overseas.

Sex Establishments: Licensing

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether licensed premises which already have permission to undertake lap dancing as an activity in their premises licence will have that right grandfathered once the new regulatory regime for the regulation of lap dancing and other sexual entertainment venues is commenced.

Alan Campbell: On 21 September 2009 the Home Office launched a 12-week consultation on the transitional arrangements for provisions relating to sexual entertainment venues introduced by section 27 of the Policing and Crime Act 2009. As part of the consultation the Government proposed that where the provisions are adopted by a local authority all existing lap dancing clubs and similar venues in that area would be required to apply for a sexual entertainment venue licence. Under this proposal existing operators would not be granted 'grandfather rights'.
	The consultation closed on 14 December 2009 and the responses are currently being reviewed. A summary of responses and the outcomes of the consultation will be published in February.

Terrorism

Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people have been released from custodial sentences handed down for terrorism offences following a successful appeal in each of the five years.

David Hanson: holding answer 29 January 2010
	The Home Office does not hold statistics which are recorded in this way. However, the Home Office does collate statistics on the number of terrorism arrests, charges and convictions and these are included in a Bulletin published for the first time on 13 May 2009 (Statistics on Terrorism Arrests and Outcomes Great Britain 11 September 2001 to 31 March 2008). The first edition of the Bulletin is available at:
	http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/pdfs09/hosb0409.pdf
	The second issue of the Bulletin was published on 26 November 2009 and is available via the following link:
	http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/pdfs09/hosb1809.pdf

CHILDREN, SCHOOLS AND FAMILIES

Departmental Finance

Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how much of his Department's capital budget for 2010-11 was brought forward to 2009-10; and how much of this budget he estimates will be spent in 2009-10.

Diana Johnson: holding answer 3 December 2009
	The Department's capital budget for 2010-11 that was brought forward to 2009-10 was £969 million aggregation in the following table:
	
		
			  Capital  b udget  2009-10 
			  Schools:  £ million 
			 Primary Capital 107 
			 Devolved 681 
			 Targeted 151 
			  Children and Families  
			 Play capital 30 
			 Total 969 
		
	
	We continue to encourage local authorities to spend the entirety of these allocations by the end of March 2010.

Departmental Internet

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how much has been spent on  (a) strategy and planning,  (b) design and build,  (c) hosting and infrastructure,  (d) content provision and  (e) testing and evaluation for his Department's websites in each of the last three years; and what budget has been allocated for such activities in 2009-10.

Diana Johnson: The predicted budget for the Department's websites (the DCSF corporate website, including the Every Child Matters site, Governornet and Teachernet) in 2009/10 is £506,466.
	The other requested information cannot be provided without incurring disproportionate cost.

Departmental Manpower

Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many layers of management reporting from the most senior to the most junior there are in his Department; how many officials are employed in each such layer; and how much was spent on salaries and associated employment costs of staff at each such layer in the latest year for which information is available.

Diana Johnson: The pay and grading structure consists of six pay bands below the Senior Civil Service. There are four pay bands in the Senior Civil Service including Permanent Secretary with the option to use an additional pay band at Deputy Director level. The number of management layers varies across the Department based on business need and not all of the pay bands are reflected in teams. The latest information on staff numbers by pay band can be found at the Office for National Statistics website:
	http://www.statistics.gov.uk/StatBase/Product.asp? vlnk=2899Pos=ColRank=1Rank=422
	Information on total pay bill can be found in the latest published DCSF Resource Accounts
	http://www.dcsf.gov.uk/aboutus/reports/resource.shtml
	The information is not broken down by pay band and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Departmental Public Consultation

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many citizens' juries or summits have been hosted by his Department since October 2008; on what date each event took place; and which Ministers were present at each event.

Diana Johnson: The Department for Children, Schools and Families conducted its only citizen's jury in 2007 and followed this with 11 related deliberative debates between 29 September 2007 and 13 September 2008 to ensure that the views of parents and young people were reflected in the development and implementation of the Children's Plan.
	The Department organised the citizen's jury at Bristol Brunei Academy on 6 September 2007. 38 people participated, including children, young people and teachers from Bristol Brunei Academy; and parents and local practitioners working with children. The Prime Minister and the Secretary of State took part in the event.

Schools: Health Services

Madeleine Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families 
	(1)  if he will require mainstream schools to have a member of staff trained in the administration of emergency medication for pupils with epilepsy;
	(2)  if he will take steps to end the practice in mainstream schools of the automatic post-seizure hospitalisation of pupils with epilepsy;
	(3)  if he will make it his policy to require mainstream schools to follow the new guidance on managing medicines in schools.

Diana Johnson: We would expect schools to work with parents and their local PCT to arrange training that is appropriate to the needs of the pupils and the staff involved.
	We are revising our guidance Managing Medicines in Schools and Early Years Settings on support measures for children with health conditions during their attendance at school. This will include advice on appropriate steps to take following an epileptic seizure, bearing in mind the severity and duration of the seizure, and with reference to the child's individual care plan. As in the current guidance, there is no presumption that all seizures will automatically require hospitalisation.
	The Department encourages schools to put in place arrangements to support pupils with medical conditions, such as epilepsy, but does not intend to introduce a new legal duty to do so. The revised guidance aims to offer schools and settings appropriate advice and information to supplement the necessary training and support from other agencies. The guidance will include clear statements of good practice for those involved in supporting pupils with medical conditions, including schools and primary care trusts.

South West

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families with which private companies in the South West his Department has contracts for the provision of goods and services; and what the  (a) monetary value and  (b) purpose of each such contract is.

Diana Johnson: The information requested could be supplied only at disproportionate cost.

Young Offenders

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families pursuant to the answer of 21 January 2010,  Official Report, column 464W, on young offenders, how many people aged between  (a) 10 and 12,  (b) 13 and 15 and  (c) 16 and 17 years-old received their first conviction in each year since 2000-01.

Vernon Coaker: holding answer 28 January 2010
	The number of young people, aged  (a ) and  ( b) 10 to 15 and  (c) 16 to 17, receiving their first reprimand, warning or conviction who have been convicted and received immediate custodial sentence, processed by English or Welsh Police forces, (and percentage of year total) can be found in the following table:
	
		
			  Number of young people aged 10-17 receiving their first reprimand, warning or conviction who have been convicted and received immediate custodial sentence, processed by English or Welsh Police forces, (and percentage of year total) 
			   2000-01  2001-02  2002-03  2003-04  2004-05 
			  Age at time of offence  No.  %  No.  %  No.  %  No.  %  No.  % 
			 10-15 99 23.1 120 29.1 108 23.6 96 24.7 101 24.6 
			 16-17 330 76.9 293 70.9 349 76.4 293 75.3 309 75.4 
			 Total 429 100 413 100 457 100 389 100 410 100 
		
	
	
		
			   2005-06  2006-07  2007-08  2008-09 
			  Age at time of offence  No.  %  No.  %  No.  %  No.  % 
			 10-15 73 18.6 74 19.8 78 19.7 102 27.1 
			 16-17 320 81.4 300 80.2 318 80.3 275 72.9 
			 Total 393 100 374 100 100 396 377 100 
		
	
	Young people aged 10-12 could not be included separately in the above table due to the very small numbers in this group. Any young person who has have previously received a reprimand, warning or conviction and who then went on to receive an immediate custodial sentence will not be included in the figures in the table-since DCSF do not hold that data. An equivalent breakdown by age bands is not available for offenders living in England only, due to the method used to allocate records where insufficient address data are available.

CHURCH COMMISSIONERS

Religious Practice: Recordings

Nick Hurd: To ask the hon. Member for Middlesbrough, representing the Church Commissioners what assessment the Church Commissioners have made of the effect of the Government's proposed changes to exemptions from public performance rights in sound recordings and performers' rights on  (a) religious worship and  (b) church halls.

Stuart Bell: My understanding is that there is no proposal to end the current exemption from the requirement to obtain a music licence for music used in 'divine service'. I have not assessed the possible impact of charges being introduced for church halls but Christian Copyright Licensing International, which handles copyright on behalf of churches, will in due course provide updates on the Government's proposed changes (which have yet to be debated by Parliament) and their potential effect on churches.
	I would urge the Government to avoid adverse effects on churches given their vital contribution to the wellbeing of our communities and our nation.

TREASURY

Bank Services: Afghanistan

Gordon Prentice: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what discussions he has had with his counterpart in Dubai concerning large deposits or money transfers from Afghan nationals; and if he will make a statement.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: There have not been any recent ministerial discussions related to particular deposits or transfers involving Afghan nationals.
	However HMG holds regular discussions with the Emirati authorities on various issues related to the integrity of the financial system, including issues of financial crime. The UK encourages all jurisdictions to work towards full compliance with the international standards on anti-money laundering and countering the finance of terrorism set by the Financial Action Task Force.

Coinage: Forgery

Gregory Campbell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what information his Department provides to the public on identification of  (a) counterfeit coins and  (b) new coinage brought into circulation.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: The Royal Mint is responsible for the manufacture of UK coinage. 'A guide for identifying genuine coins' and information on 'UK decimal coins issued into general circulation up to 2008' are available on the Royal Mint's website:
	www.royalmint.com
	as is the 2008-09 Annual Report which contains data on the 'Issues of circulating coins 2008-09' and the 'Estimated Value and number of coins in circulation March 2009'.

Departmental Public Consultation

Grant Shapps: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many citizens' juries or summits have been hosted by his Department since October 2008; on what date each event took place; and which Ministers were present at each event.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by the former Exchequer Secretary (Angela Eagle) on 22 July 2008,  Official Report, column 1392W, to the hon. Member for Fareham (Mr. Hoban).

Employee Benefit Trusts

Vincent Cable: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer of 15 December 2009,  Official Report, column 1007W, on employee benefit trusts, for what reasons HM Revenue and Customs does not keep a record of the number of loans taken from employee benefit trusts.

Stephen Timms: There is no legal requirement for the trustees of an Employee Benefit Trust to notify HM Revenue and Customs of loans made to beneficiaries.

Employee Benefit Trusts

Vincent Cable: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer of 11 January 2010,  Official Report, column 779W, on tax avoidance, for what reasons HM Revenue and Customs does not record the amounts contributed to employee benefit trusts.

Stephen Timms: There is no legal requirement for companies or trustees to notify HM Revenue and Customs of amounts contributed to an employee benefit trust.

EU Budget

Peter Bone: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the UK's net contribution to the European Union in  (a) 2008-09,  (b) 2009-10 and  (c) 2010-11.

Ian Pearson: The latest projections for the UK's net contribution to the EU budget for the stated years can be found in footnote 3 of Table B15 of the pre-Budget report.

EU Economic and Financial Affairs Council

Jim Cousins: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what taxation issues were  (a) on the agenda and  (b) discussed at the Economic and Financial Affairs Council on 19 January 2010; and what position the Government took on each such issue.

Stephen Timms: The ECOFIN agenda and discussion covered a number of proposals concerned with improving exchange of information and mutual assistance in tax matters. These comprised amendments to the savings directive, new directives on administrative cooperation and the recovery of tax debts, and proposals for anti-fraud and tax cooperation agreements with Liechtenstein, Monaco, Andorra, San Marino and Switzerland.
	The Government broadly support the proposed package, which reflects the G20 priority to tackle cross-border tax evasion established at the London Summit in April 2009. ECOFIN reached agreement on the recovery directive and will continue its discussions on the rest of the package at a subsequent meeting.

HM Revenue and Customs

Ian Liddell-Grainger: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  how many forms HM Revenue and Customs generated about changes of jobs in  (a) 2006,  (b) 2007,  (c) 2008 and  (d) 2009;
	(2)  what percentage of those who paid tax through the Pay-As-You-Earn system had more than one income source in  (a) 2006,  (b) 2007,  (c) 2008 and  (d) 2009;
	(3)  what percentage of employers did not operate changed tax codes for their employees in  (a) 2006,  (b) 2007,  (c) 2008 and  (d) 2009.

Stephen Timms: The information requested is available only at disproportionate cost, as the data is not centrally held by HM Revenue and Customs' systems.

Income Tax

Peter Bottomley: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the number of people likely to be affected by the new 50 per cent. tax band.

Stephen Timms: Budget 2009 announced that an additional rate of income tax of 50 per cent. would apply to total income in excess of £150,000 from April 2010, with a rate of 42.5 per cent. for dividend income.
	Around 260,000 individuals are projected to have taxable income above £150,000 in 2010-11.
	Figures are based on the 2006-07 Survey of Personal Incomes and projected in line with pre-Budget 2009 assumptions. The projection excludes any estimate of behavioural response.

Income Tax: Rebates

Jim Cousins: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the performance of the Taxback programme operated by HM Revenue and Customs; and how many pensioners have claimed back overpaid tax on savings income to date.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer I gave on 18 January 2010,  Official Report, column 196W, to the hon. Member for Northavon (Steve Webb).

Insolvency

Philip Hollobone: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer in his Department's forecasts of future economic growth, what account is taken of the increase in business insolvencies which has followed past recessions.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: The Treasury's forecast of economic growth takes into account a broad range of factors that are important for the outlook of the corporate sector including the rate of company liquidations. Box A4 in the 2009 pre-Budget report makes reference to the rate of company liquidations.

Monetary Policy

Richard Spring: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the unrealised loss has been to the Exchequer of the indemnity which has been given to the Bank of England Asset Purchase Facility Fund to cover its losses.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: The Bank of England will publish accounts for the Asset Purchase Facility (APF) alongside their annual accounts for the year ending February 2010. HM Treasury will include the implications of the APF for Treasury resources, that is the profit or loss of the APF based on valuations of APF assets at balance sheet date, in its annual accounts for the year ending 31 March 2010 Any profit or loss on the APF will only crystallise once the fund is wound up.

Part-time Employment

Jim Cousins: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assistance he provides through the taxation and tax credits system to people with part-time jobs of less than 16 hours per week; and how many people worked for less than 16 hours per week in each of the last three years.

Stephen Timms: People working part-time benefit from the personal allowance, which means they can earn up to £6,475 a year without being liable for income tax. As a result, someone working 16 hours a week on a wage of up to £7.80 an hour, well above the national minimum wage, will pay no income tax at all. Families with children, regardless of whether or not the parents work, can also benefit from child tax credit and child benefit.
	Working tax credit is designed to create incentives for people to enter into and progress in work. It is only available to people working 16 hours a week or more, as working for less than 16 hours a week is less likely to create a strong attachment to the labour market and lead to sustainable employment.
	The Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE), published by the Office for National Statistics, and available at:
	http://www.statistics.gov.uk/downloads/theme_labour/ASHE-2009/tab1_9a.xls
	shows that nine out of 10 employees in the UK work for more than 16 hours a week.

PAYE

Ian Liddell-Grainger: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many Pay-As-You-Earn coding notices were issued to  (a) employers and  (b) individuals in (i) 2006, (ii) 2007, (iii) 2008 and (iv) 2009.

Stephen Timms: The information requested is available only at disproportionate cost, as the data is not centrally held by HM Revenue and Customs' systems.

Revenue and Customs

Jim Cousins: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many staff the HM Revenue and Customs Large Business Service had in each year since 2006; how many cases it dealt with in each of those years; and what the taxation yield of the service was in each of those years.

Stephen Timms: The requested information is provided in the following table.
	
		
			   2005-6  2006-7  2007-8  2008-9 
			 Staff in HMRC's Large Business Services (LBS) 1,826 1,60 1,704 1,524 
			 Cases with the LBS at 31 March n/a 2510 777 771 
			 Yield (£ million) 3,580.5 3,932.6 4,963.8 4,903.5 
			 n/a = Not available

Tax Allowances

Ian Liddell-Grainger: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many individual taxpayers claimed benefits-in-kind or paid business expenses in  (a) 2006,  (b) 2007,  (c) 2008 and  (d) 2009; and what total amount was claimed in each year.

Stephen Timms: This information requested is not available by calendar year. However, information about taxable expenses and benefits-in-kind for 2006-07 and a projection for 2007-08 is available at:
	http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/stats/taxable_benefits/table4-5-2006-Q7.pdf
	This information will be updated on 31 March 2010 and will include a projection for the 2008-09 tax year.

Tax Avoidance

Jim Cousins: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many disclosures have been made under the onshore account disclosure facility since the Finance Act 2009 came into force.

Stephen Timms: HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) do not recognise the term Onshore Disclosure Facility.
	In April 2007, HMRC launched the Offshore Disclosure Facility, enabling investors with offshore accounts to disclose tax due on income and gains not previously included in their returns. Around 45,000 individuals disclosed by the 26 November 2007 deadline. The facility recovered over £400 million in unpaid revenue. HMRC is pursuing those with offshore accounts who did not come forward under the arrangements, and has so far recovered a further £50 million.
	In September 2009, HMRC launched a new disclosure opportunity (NDO). This is a second and final disclosure opportunity. By the notification deadline of 4 January 2010, 10,000 people registered to use the NDO. Registered individuals now have until 12 March to complete their disclosures and pay what they owe.

Tax Avoidance

Jim Cousins: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what expenditure on  (a) advertising and  (b) staff has been incurred in respect of HM Revenue and Custom's New Disclosure Opportunity; and how many disclosures have been made under this facility to date.

Stephen Timms: HM Revenue and Customs' (HMRC) total media spend for the New Disclosure Opportunity (NDO), excluding VAT and fees, was £542,298.52.
	HMRC estimate that staff time equivalent to a cost of £393,000 has been spent in 2009-10 on call handling, disclosure processing and project management of work under the NDO. HMRC undertook this work as part of their normal business activity.
	By the notification deadline of 4 January 2010, 10,000 people registered to use the NDO. Registered individuals now have until 12 March to complete their disclosures and pay what they owe.

Tax Avoidance

Jim Cousins: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what factors he took into account in reaching his decision not to incorporate a general anti-avoidance principle in taxation law.

Stephen Timms: The Government keep all taxes under review, including the possibility of introducing a general anti-avoidance rule (GAAR).
	Following an extensive consultation on the possibility of a GAAR in 1998, the Government made the decision not to introduce a GAAR at that time in the light of responses received.
	The factors considered include how a GAAR would work in conjunction with existing extensive anti-avoidance provisions; how it would affect new avoidance legislation going forward; and, whether, as in some countries with a GAAR, a special clearance system would be required.

Taxation: Holiday Accommodation

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  what estimate has been made of the proportion of UK taxpayers with income from furnished holiday lettings in the UK who reside in the South West;
	(2)  how many UK taxpayers obtained furnished holiday letting revenue from properties in the European Economic Area in 2008-09.

Stephen Timms: HM Revenue and Customs' (HMRC) administrative systems do not record the location of properties let under furnished holiday lettings rules and whether they are situated in the UK or the European Economic area. It is estimated that 20 per cent. of UK taxpayers with income from furnished holiday lettings (in the UK or the European Economic Area) have a correspondence address in the South West.

Taxation: Self-assessment

Ian Liddell-Grainger: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  how many individuals have been switched out of self-assessment in  (a) 2006,  (b) 2007,  (c) 2008 and  (d) 2009;
	(2)  what criteria are used to determine whether a self-assessment case requires manual processing;.
	(3)  what percentage of self-assessment forms were  (a) incomplete and  (b) completed incorrectly in (i) 2006, (ii) 2007, (iii) 2008 and (iv) 2009;
	(4)  what the five most common errors made by individuals completing self-assessment forms were in  (a) 2006,  (b) 2007,  (c) 2008 and  (d) 2009.

Stephen Timms: Following a review of self-assessment in April 2004 HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) introduced revised criteria for completion of self-assessment tax returns. As a result, many customers with straightforward tax affairs were no longer required to complete an annual tax return. The number of individuals who have automatically been taken out of self-assessment is provided in the following table.
	
		
			   Number of individuals taken out of self-assessment 
			 2005-06 285,584 
			 2006-07 214,667 
			 2007-08 190,453 
			 2008-09 196,017 
		
	
	Manual processing is required where a self-assessment main tax return is filed on paper. Returns filed electronically do not require manual processing and short tax returns filed on paper are subject to automated data capture.
	A self-assessment tax return can be regarded as incomplete for a number of reasons, for example: no signature or missing supplementary pages. HMRC will send these back to the taxpayer for completion. HMRC will correct obvious errors made by the taxpayer; for example:
	Where the taxpayer transposes figures;
	Puts a decimal point in the wrong place;
	Makes arithmetical errors; or
	Incorrectly records national insurance benefits.
	Information on the number of incomplete or incorrect returns is available only at disproportionate cost, as the data are not centrally held by HMRC's systems.
	Based on the sampling undertaken as part of the Department's monthly quality monitoring exercise, the five most common errors made by individuals completing self-assessment forms were:
	In 2005-06 failing to:
	1. declare the correct amount of national insurance benefits on the return;
	2. complete all the relevant boxes on the trust page;
	3. include the amount of underpayment from an earlier year included in the PAYE code for a later year;
	4. claim fixed rate expenses; and
	5. include details of in-year repayments already received.
	In 2006-07 failing to:
	1. declare the correct amount of national insurance benefits on the return;
	2. complete all the relevant boxes on the trust page;
	3. include the amount of underpayment from an earlier year included in the PAYE code for a later year;
	4. correctly complete boxes on the return; and
	5. include details of in year repayments already received.
	In 2007 /08 failing to:
	1. declare the correct amount of national insurance benefits on the return;
	2. include the amount of underpayment from an earlier year included in the PAYE code for the return year;
	3. claim fixed rate expenses;
	4. include details of in year repayments already received; and
	5. include the amount of underpayment from an earlier year included in the PAYE code for a later year.
	In 2008-09 failing to:
	1. declare the correct amount of national insurance benefits on the return;
	2. include the amount of underpayment from an earlier year included in the PAYE code for the return year;
	3. include the amount of underpayment from an earlier year included in the PAYE code for a later year;
	4. claim fixed rate expenses; and
	5. complete the tax paid on pension income on the SA return.

Taxation: Self-assessment and PAYE

Ian Liddell-Grainger: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  how many people paying tax through  (a) self-assessment and  (b) pay-as-you-earn were (i) overcharged and (ii) undercharged in (A) 2006, (B) 2007, (C) 2008 and (D) 2009; and what the difference was between the amount charged and the amount owed in each case in each such year;
	(2)  how many people were affected by errors in the  (a) self-assessment and  (b) pay-as-you-earn system in (i) 2006, (ii) 2007, (iii) 2008 and (iv) 2009;
	(3)  how many  (a) pay-as-you-earn and  (b) self-assessment cases there were in which the tax remitted did not match the end-of-year information in (i) 2006, (ii) 2007, (iii) 2008 and (iv) 2009;
	(4)  how many coding errors there were in respect of the  (a) self-assessment and  (b) pay-as-you-earn system in (i) 2006, (ii) 2007, (iii) 2008 and (iv) 2009.

Stephen Timms: The information requested is available only at disproportionate cost, as the data is not centrally captured by HM Revenue and Customs' systems.

Taxation: Self-assessment and PAYE

Ian Liddell-Grainger: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  how many of the self-assessment forms filed in  (a) September and  (b) January were processed manually in (i) 2006, (ii) 2007, (iii) 2008 and (iv) 2009;
	(2)  what recent estimate he has made of the cost to his Department of processing self-assessment forms filed in  (a) September and  (b) January;
	(3)  how many self-assessment forms were filed in respect of the  (a) September and  (b) January deadline in (i) 2008 and (ii) 2009.

Stephen Timms: The information requested is not available. HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) do not hold data for the number of self-assessment tax returns processed manually by whether they were received in September or January. The total number of self-assessment returns processed manually is provided in the following table.
	
		
			  Tax return year  Self-assessment (individuals) 
			 2005-06 4,988,969 
			 2006-07 4,118,006 
			 2007-08 2,314,728 
			 2008-09 Not yet available 
		
	
	No such estimate has been made.
	In 2008 the self-assessments filing dates were changed, from 30 September and 31 January, to 31 October for paper returns and 31 January for online returns. The information requested is provided in the following table.
	
		
			   Tax return 
			  2006-07  
			 Filed by 30 September 2007 3,382,668 
			 Total filed by 31 January 2008 8,250,952 
			  2007-08  
			 Filed by paper 31 October 2008 2,616,666 
			 Total filed by 31 January 2009 8,390,178

Taxation: Self-assessment and PAYE

Ian Liddell-Grainger: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  what information his Department makes available to PAYE taxpayers on their annual tax calculation;
	(2)  how many P46 codes were used in  (a) 2006,  (b) 2007,  (c) 2008 and  (d) 2009;
	(3)  how many  (a) PAYE and  (b) self-assessment taxpayers challenged or appealed the amount they were charged for income tax in (i) 2006, (ii) 2007, (iii) 2008 and (iv) 2009.

Stephen Timms: HM Revenue and Customs do not issue annual tax calculations to pay-as-you-earn (PAYE) taxpayers. PAYE customers who also meet the self-assessment (SA) criteria are required to complete an annual SA tax return. Further information on income tax self-assessment can be found at:
	http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/sa/index.htm
	The information requested is not available, as HMRC's systems do not record when employers operate tax codes based on the completion of a P46 form, or all the instances when a taxpayer may query the amount of tax they pay.

Taxation: Self-assessment and PAYE

Ian Liddell-Grainger: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  how many tax code changes for benefits in kind are processed automatically following the receipt of P11Ds;
	(2)  how many P11Ds were processed  (a) manually and  (b) automatically in (i) 2006, (ii) 2007, (iii) 2008 and (iv) 2009;
	(3)  what the average cost of processing a P11D  (a) automatically and  (b) manually was in the latest period for which figures are available;
	(4)  what the volume is of the backlog of P11Ds waiting to be manually processed;
	(5)  what the average income was of taxpayers who were  (a) overcharged and  (b) undercharged income tax in the latest year for which figures are available.

Stephen Timms: The information requested is provided in the following table.
	
		
			  P11Ds 
			   2005-06  2006-07  2007-08  2008-09 
			 Total received n/a 4,602,860 4,562,914 3,944,894 
			  
			  Processed: 
			 Manually n/a 4,028,207 3,661,908 2,627,746 
			 Automatically 383,898 574,653 901,006 1,317,148 
			  
			 Automatically coded(1) n/a n/a 1,786,351 n/a 
			 (1 )Figures for the numbers of P11Ds automatically coded were only produced for 2007-08 to test HMRC's system.

Taxation: Self-assessment and PAYE

Ian Liddell-Grainger: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what research has been commissioned or undertaken by HM Revenue and Customs since 2001-02 on  (a) the number of self assessment taxpayers who under declare liability and  (b) the levels of tax revenues which go undeclared; and if he will make a statement.

Stephen Timms: HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) published 'Measuring Tax Gaps 2009' alongside the 2009 Pre-Budget Report, available at:
	http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/stats/measuring-tax-gaps.htm
	The report sets out:
	an estimate of the proportion of those receiving an Income Tax Self Assessment tax return (individuals, partnerships and trusts) who had understated their tax liability for each year from 1999-20000 to 2004-05 and the levels of under declaration; and
	an estimate of the proportion of small and medium-sized companies receiving a Corporation Tax Self Assessment return who had understated their tax liability for the financial years2001-04, and the levels of under declaration.
	At the end of 2008-09 18,211 P11Ds were outstanding, which HM Revenue and Customs have been unable to match to an individual record.
	The information requested is available only at disproportionate cost, as the data is not centrally captured by HM Revenue and Customs systems

VAT

David Davies: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what value added tax rate applies to items purchased before 1 January 2010 and delivered after 1 January 2010.

Stephen Timms: Items subject to the standard rate of VAT which were paid for before 1 January 2010 and delivered on or after that date will normally be liable to VAT at 15 per cent. However, anti-forestalling legislation was in place to prevent artificial avoidance of the rate reversion.

VAT

Gregory Campbell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the likely effect on the economy between 1 January and 31 March 2010 of the return of the level of value added tax to 17.5 per cent.

Stephen Timms: The annual rate of consumer price inflation is expected to rise in January, partly due to the pre-announced reversal of the cut in the VAT rate from 15 per cent. back to 17.5 per cent.
	The 2009 pre-Budget report forecast assumes that businesses will smooth the pass-through of the reversal of the VAT rate cut, with inflation peaking in early 2010. It is assumed that households will bring forward some consumption from 2010 to 2009 as a result of the lower relative prices associated with the reversion of the temporary cut in the standard rate of VAT.
	Consumer spending is forecast to grow over 2010 as a whole. The Government will set out their latest assessment of economic prospects in the Budget as usual.

VAT: Channel Islands

Jim Cousins: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will estimate the value added tax revenue lost as a result of the routeing of purchases of goods through the Channel Islands in the last 12 months; and what steps he has taken to prevent such losses.

Stephen Timms: The information requested is not available, as HM Revenue and Customs do not have the information to identify whether goods routed through the Channel Islands were originally produced there.
	The Government have agreed with the Channel Islands' authorities that they will restrict the operations of businesses that establish there solely to supply goods to the UK and apply restrictions on the setting up of new businesses. The islands' authorities have also agreed to cap the annual sales of goods to the UK of some large businesses established there. The Government are keeping the operation of these arrangements under review.

Welfare Tax Credits: Ashford Kent

Damian Green: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many children in Ashford constituency are in households in receipt of  (a) working tax credit and  (b) child tax credit.

Stephen Timms: Child and working tax credits were introduced in April 2003 when they replaced working families' tax credits.
	The latest information on the number of children in households benefiting from tax credits, by each parliamentary constituency, is available in the HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) snapshot publication Child and Working Tax Credits Statistics. Geographical Analyses. December 2009, available at:
	http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/stats/personal-tax-credits/cwtc-geog-dec09.pdf
	HMRC do not produce these statistics separately for child tax credit and working tax credit.

Welfare Tax Credits: Ashford Kent

Damian Green: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what his most recent estimate is of the number of families in each ward of Ashford constituency in receipt of  (a) working tax credit and  (b) child tax credit.

Stephen Timms: The following table shows for each ward within Ashford constituency snapshot estimates for the number of households benefiting from tax credits as at 1 December 2009.
	Separate information on the number of households receiving working tax credits and child tax credits in each ward is not available due to the small sample sizes available.
	However, estimates of the number of families benefiting, by award type, for each local authority and parliamentary constituency are provided in the HM Revenue and Customs snapshot publication 'Child and Working Tax Credits. Geographical Analysis. December 2009', available at:
	http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/stats/personal-tax-credits/cwtc-geog-dec09.pdf
	
		
			  Ward  Number of households in receipt of tax credits( 1) 
			 Aylesford Green 400 
			 Beaver 700 
			 Biddenden 200 
			 Bockhanger 300 
			 Boughton Aluph and Eastwell 400 
			 Bybrook 200 
			 Charing - 
			 Downs North - 
			 Downs West 200 
			 Godinton 600 
			 Great Chart with Singleton North 400 
			 Highfield 300 
			 Isle of Oxney 200 
			 Kennington 200 
			 Little Burton Farm 300 
			 Norman 500 
			 North Willesborough 500 
			 Park Farm North 400 
			 Park Farm South 400 
			 Rolvenden and Tenterden West 200 
			 St Michaels 200 
			 Saxon Shore 400 
			 Singleton South 300 
			 South Willesborough 500 
			 Stanhope 500 
			 Stour 600 
			 Tenterden North 200 
			 Tenterden South - 
			 Victoria 700 
			 Washford 400 
			 Weald Central 300 
			 Weald East - 
			 Weald North 200 
			 Weald South 400 
			 Wye - 
			 (1) Due to small sample sizes, the figures for some wards are not shown

Working Tax Credit

Maria Miller: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he has made an estimate of the cost to the public purse of changing the threshold for eligibility of the working tax credit to  (a) five,  (b) 10,  (c) 20 and  (d) 25 hours a week.

Stephen Timms: holding answer 26 January 2010
	No such estimate has been made.

JUSTICE

David Kelly Death Inquiry

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice who determined that the medical reports and photographs connected to the death of Dr. David Kelly should be closed for 70 years; and on what legal basis this determination was made.

Michael Wills: No determination has been made that the medical reports and photographs connected to the death of Dr. David Kelly should be closed for 70 years. Rather, Lord Hutton noted in his statement on 26 January that he had requested that the post mortem examination report relating to Dr. Kelly not be disclosed for 70 years in view of the distress that could be caused to Dr. Kelly's wife and daughters.
	The Ministry of Justice is now considering the most appropriate course of action. The options available will need to be considered carefully.

Debt Collection: Regulation

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice if he will bring forward proposals to establish an independent regulator of bailiffs.

Bridget Prentice: I announced on 17 March 2009,  Official Report, column 46WS that the Government will produce a consultation paper which will set out its intentions for a package of measures which will address concerns that have been raised about the behaviour of bailiffs and proposals for the regulation of the bailiff industry.
	It remains the Government's intention to commence this consultation exercise with a view to implementing the changes in April 2012.

Departmental Public Expenditure

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how much his Department spent on  (a) new furnishings,  (b) works of art and  (c) new vehicles in each of the last two years.

Michael Wills: The information requested is as follows:
	 New furnishings
	The expenditure on furniture and fittings by the Ministry is:
	
		
			   £000 
			 2008-09 8,158 
			 2007-08 6,057 
		
	
	These figures represent expenditure on both furniture and fittings by the Ministry of Justice headquarters, HM Court Service, the Tribunals Service, the Office of the Public Guardian, and the National Offender Management Service (NOMS). For NOMS, the totals exclude expenditure on items costing less than £5,000 as they are recorded within a more general category of expenditure and can be separately identified only at disproportionate cost by scrutinising numerous individual invoices held locally.
	Of the amounts above, £3,983,000 in 2008-09 and £2,015,000 in 2007-08 were capitalised on the departmental balance sheet and are disclosed as additions to furniture and fittings in note 14 of the departmental resource accounts available at:
	http://www.official-documents.gov.uk
	Furniture is typically used for a period of 20 years within the Department. Major acquisitions usually occur only where a new building is taken on following the expiry of building leases and in accordance with the Ministry's estates rationalisation programme which is a key element of its savings plans.
	 Works of art
	Art is a recognised part of public buildings and the commissioning or purchase of suitable artworks is included in the overall cost of building or refurbishment. For new buildings, such as courts, artwork is normally integrated into the fabric of the building and does not have a separately identifiable cost. The only distinct expenditure on artwork incurred in 2007-08 and 2008-09 and relates to installations within the Ministry of Justice's newly refurbished headquarters building at 102 Petty France. This work was commissioned in 2001 at an estimated cost of £470,000 which was later revised down to £290,000. The final actual cost on completion of the works was £208,000.
	 Vehicles
	The amount spent on new vehicles by the Ministry of Justice and its executive agencies is:
	
		
			   £000 
			 2008-09 7,600 
			 2007-08 3,215 
		
	
	Expenditure represents vehicles bought outright by the Ministry of Justice and its executive agencies or held on finance leases. The figures above exclude vehicles rented under operating lease arrangements. They also exclude vehicles used by NOMS for escorting prisoners. NOMS has contracted with various suppliers to provide a prisoner escorting service. Within the terms of those contracts, it is for the suppliers to determine the vehicles necessary to deliver the contracted service.
	Vehicles owned by the Ministry are typically used within the business for between three and seven years, depending on vehicle type and use. They are often bought and replaced in bulk to achieve discounts, resulting in differences in expenditure from year to year. The main reason for the increase in expenditure in 2008-09 is the acquisition by HM Courts Service of a substantial fleet of secure cell vehicles to enable the safe and secure transportation by civilian enforcement officers and county court bailiffs of defendants under arrest to court.

Offenders: Deportation

Philip Hollobone: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice pursuant to the oral answer of 5 January 2010,  Official Report, columns 11-12, on compulsory transfer agreements, 
	(1)  with which countries negotiations to establish arrangements for prisoner transfers without consent are continuing; and how many foreign national prisoners there are from each such country;
	(2)  how many foreign national prisoners have been returned to each of the 35 countries with which the UK has arrangements for prisoner transfers without consent since the inception of such arrangements;
	(3)  how many foreign national prisoners there are from each of the 35 countries with which the UK has arrangements for prisoner transfers without consent.

Maria Eagle: The United Kingdom is in negotiation with Nigeria and Rwanda with a view to signing compulsory prisoner transfer agreements (PTA). As at 18 December 2009, 752 Nigerians and 11 Rwandans where detained in prisons in England and Wales.
	The United Kingdom brought into force the additional protocol to the Council of Europe Convention on the Transfer of Sentenced Persons on 1 November 2009. Under the additional protocol the United Kingdom can transfer prisoners without their consent to 34 signatory countries providing the prisoner is subject to a deportation order. The consent of the receiving state is required in each case. To date no prisoners have been transferred under these arrangements.
	On 17 November 2008 the United Kingdom and the Libyan Arab Jamahiriya signed a PTA which provides for transfer without the consent of the prisoner concerned. To date no prisoners have been transferred under these arrangements.
	The following table lists the countries with which the United Kingdom has compulsory PTA and the number of recorded foreign nationals in prison custody in England and Wales. It should be noted that where there is no direct evidence of nationality this is recorded as self declared by the prisoner;
	
		
			  Countries with which the United Kingdom has a compulsory prisoner transfer arrangement  Foreign national s  recorded in prison on 18 December 2009 
			 Austria 14 
			 Belgium 35 
			 Bulgaria 64 
			 Croatia 7 
			 Cyprus 35 
			 Czech Republic 85 
			 Denmark 13 
			 Estonia 25 
			 Finland 4 
			 France 163 
			 Georgia 11 
			 Germany 91 
			 Greece 17 
			 Hungary 36 
			 Iceland 3 
			 Ireland 647 
			 Latvia 137 
			 Libya 20 
			 Liechtenstein - 
			 Lithuania 330 
			 Luxembourg - 
			 Malta 2 
			 Moldova 19 
			 Montenegro (1)- 
			 Netherlands 119 
			 Norway 5 
			 Poland 617 
			 Romania 357 
			 Russian Federation 120 
			 San Marino 1 
			 Serbia 62 
			 Sweden 17 
			 Switzerland 7 
			 Macedonia 6 
			 Ukraine (2)- 
			 (1) Serbian and Montenegrin nationals are listed under Serbian and Montenegro for the purposes of nationality in prison. (2) Under NOMS statistics Ukrainian nationals are listed as nationals of the Russian Federation.

Offenders: Social Services

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many prisoners aged between 18 and 21 were referred to adult social services under section 47 of the National Health Service and Community Care Act 1990 by the  (a) Prison Service and  (b) Probation Service in the last 12 months.

Maria Eagle: Section 47 of the National Health Service and Community Care Act 1990 sets out local authorities' obligations in relation to assessments of needs for community care services.
	Information on the numbers of referrals to adult social services by the Prison Service and the national probation service is not held centrally. Since 2006, NHS primary care trusts have held responsibility for commissioning health services for their offender population.

Police Cautions: North East

Jim Cousins: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many  (a) police cautions and  (b) conditional cautions were issued for each category of offence in each police force area in the North East region in each year since 2005.

Claire Ward: The number of offenders receiving a caution in the north-east Government office region (GOR) by force and offence group, 2005-08 (latest available) is shown in the following table. Currently, data on simple or conditional cautions are not published separately although the Crown Prosecution Service is planning to publish conditional cautioning data on a monthly basis from February 2010.
	
		
			  Number of offenders cautioned( 1, 2)  in the north-east Government office region (GOR), by for ce, by offence group, 2005- 08( 3) 
			  Force/offence group  2005  2006  2007  2008 
			  Durham 
			 Violence against the person 284 423 445 360 
			 Sexual offences 18 16 15 20 
			 Burglary 71 103 97 67 
			 Robbery 1 5 2 - 
			 Theft and handling stolen goods 626 727 713 677 
			 Fraud and forgery 38 58 54 75 
			 Criminal damage 15 44 80 108 
			 Drug offences 302 295 298 359 
			 Other indictable offences 43 81 76 81 
			 Summary offences (excluding motoring) 1,739 2,578 2,245 2,046 
			 Total 3,137 4,330 4,025 3,793 
			  
			  Northumbria 
			 Violence against the person 1,561 1,754 1,460 1,328 
			 Sexual offences 79 81 81 65 
			 Burglary 164 228 214 186 
			 Robbery 1 3 - 2 
			 Theft and handling stolen goods 3,210 3,444 3,687 3,316 
			 Fraud and forgery 377 507 494 499 
			 Criminal damage 91 125 102 123 
			 Drug offences 2,014 1,772 1,583 1,347 
			 Other indictable offences 343 428 406 430 
			 Summary offences (excluding motoring) 8,788 8,047 7,870 7,343 
			 Total 16,628 16,389 15,897 14,639 
			  
			  Cleveland 
			 Violence against the person 388 488 491 398 
			 Sexual offences 19 29 19 24 
			 Burglary 105 168 148 129 
			 Robbery 3 11 4 6 
			 Theft and handling stolen goods 832 1,129 1,070 1,212 
			 Fraud and forgery 83 107 110 115 
			 Criminal damage 26 41 30 27 
			 Drug offences 344 446 589 747 
			 Other indictable offences 80 93 84 111 
			 Summary offences (excluding motoring) 1,737 3,160 2,852 2,835 
			 Total 3,617 5,672 5,397 5,604 
			 (1 )The cautions statistics relate to persons for whom these offences were the principal offences for which they were dealt with. When a defendant has been cautioned for two or more offences at the same time the principal offence is the more serious offence. (2) From 1 June 2000 the Crime and Disorder Act 1998 came into force nationally and removed the use of cautions for persons under 18 and replaced them with reprimands and final warnings. These figures have been included in the totals. (3) Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used.  Source: Justice Statistics Analytical Services-Ministry of Justice.

Prison Sentences

Paul Holmes: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many  (a) male and  (b) female prisoners have been held under an indeterminate sentence for public protection in each year since their inception.

Maria Eagle: The following table gives figures for the numbers of prisoners in all prison establishments in England and Wales serving indeterminate sentences for public protection in each year since 2005 when they first came into effect:
	
		
			  Prisoners serving indeterminate sentences for public protection  2005-09( 1 ) in England and Wales as at 30 June each year 
			   2005  2006  2007  2008  2009 
			 Total 24 1,079 2,859 4,461 5,205 
			 Males 24 1,045 2,776 4,333 5,074 
			 Females 0 34 83 128 131 
			 (1) 2009 figures are estimated  Note: Indeterminate sentences for public protection came into effect on 5 April 2005 
		
	
	These figures up to June 2008 can be found in the published Offender Management Caseload Statistics, table 7.17, a copy of which can be found in the House of Commons Library and which can also be found at the following website:
	http://www.justice.gov.uk/publications/prisonandprobation.htm
	These figures have been drawn from administrative IT systems which, as with any large scale recording system, are subject to possible errors with data entry and processing.

Prison Service: Contractors

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what private contractors his Department employs to run work in prison schemes.

Maria Eagle: There are a number of employer partnerships with private sector companies that provide employment and training activities within prisons with some offering employment on release. Some of these operate at an individual prison level and unless they wish to expand their work to other prisons details would not necessarily be kept centrally. Those private sector organisations involved in work for prisoners include Cisco Systems, DHL, Timpson's, Travis Perkins, Trackworks, Pertemps People Group, A4e Ltd., SERCO, and Speedy Hire.
	In addition, a number of registered charities and public bodies help to provide education and training in prisons and many others provide work for prisoners in the form of contract services. There are also a number of companies that provide paid employment for selected low risk prisoners in the community. There is also a Corporate alliance network of over 100 employers committed to supporting the offender employment agenda in training and recruiting (ex) offenders.
	The Learning and Skills Council has let contracts to A4e Ltd., CfBT, JHP Group, Kensington and Chelsea college, Lincoln college, the Manchester college, Milton Keynes college, Norton Radstock college, Prospects, Strode college, Tribal and Working Links to deliver education, skills training and careers information and advice services in public sector prisons and young offender institutions across England.

Prison Service: Recruitment

Paul Holmes: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice whether his Department has set targets for the recruitment of prison officers in the next five years.

Maria Eagle: There are no centrally directed targets for prison officer recruitment. The National Offender Management Service recruits to officer vacancies as and when they are required. The level of staffing is approved locally by each regional manager for custodial services based on the level of activity required and an operational assessment of overall safety.

Prison Service: Television

Alan Duncan: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many televisions were purchased by HM Prison Service in  (a) 2007-08 and  (b) 2008-09.

Maria Eagle: Available data for the units of televisions purchased by the HM Prison Service are limited for the years 2007-08 with more comprehensive data available for the years 2008-09, due to increased availability of supplier management information. The following information is available and has been drilled down into two separate categories:
	(a) In-cell televisions
	(b) Other televisions purchased for group.
	 In- cell televisions
	In-cell televisions are purchased as replenishments for the prisoner rental scheme, as part of local incentives and earned privileges schemes, where prisoners can rent televisions for £1 per week from their own personal funds. In-cell televisions are also an earned privilege that can be lost due to poor behaviour.
	 Other televisions
	Other televisions are defined as units, which have been purchased for various reasons-for example establishment information systems, training rooms, communal areas and visitor areas.
	The following data have been provided by the current contracted supplier of domestic appliances and electrical products, DSGI Business Equanet, part of the Dixons Group.
	
		
			  2007-08 
			  Category  Amount  Comments 
			 In-cell televisions 14,814 - 
			 Other televisions 24 Limited data due to ad hoc supply and under previous contracts of various non-contracted suppliers, where detailed unit information is not available 
		
	
	
		
			  2008-09 
			  Category  Amount  Comments 
			 In-cell televisions 12,238 - 
			 Other televisions 821 -

Prisoners

Dominic Grieve: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many prisoners are on each level of incentives and privileges.

Jack Straw: The latest available data for the three levels of the Incentives and Earned Privileges Scheme (IEPS) is set out in the following table. The data are drawn from different systems and also represents an average so figures do not precisely match population figures on any one day. However, they do provide an indication at national level of the operation of IEPS. The figures are for the average numbers on each level of the scheme over a period of eight months for April to November 2009.
	
		
			  Level  Number  Percentage 
			 Basic 1,228 1.51 
			 Standard 46,317 56.89 
			 Enhanced 33,870 41.60

Prisoners Release: Homicide

Dominic Grieve: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice whether any persons convicted of homicide since 1997-98 having previously been convicted of homicide have been released from their sentence for the second offence.

Jack Straw: Much of the requested information is available from the Home Office's Homicide Index, which holds information about all offences initially recorded as homicide by police in England and Wales. Latest available statistics are presented in the Home Offices Statistics Bulletin Homicides, Firearm Offences and Intimate Violence 2008/09, released on 21 January 2010 and which can be found at:
	http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/pdfsl0/hosb0110.pdf.
	The term homicide covers the offences of murder, manslaughter and infanticide.
	Table 1 replicates part of Table 1.11 from this Bulletin. It reflects the position as at 24 November 2009 and shows the numbers of suspects who were convicted of a homicide offence that had been recorded between 1998-99 and 2008-09 and who had previously been convicted of a homicide offence. The data includes all previous homicide convictions (where known) wherever they took place, but the second offence must have occurred in England and Wales to be included in this analysis.
	
		
			  Table 1: Suspects convicted of homicide, 1998-99 to 2008-09, who had been convicted of homicide on a previous occasion, by year in which second homicide offence was committed, England and Wales( 1,2) 
			  Year in which second homicide offence was recorded  Number of offenders 
			 1998-99 1 
			 1999-2000 8 
			 2000-01 1 
			 2001-02 0 
			 2002-03 2 
			 2003-04 4 
			 2004-05 4 
			 2005-06 8 
			 2006-07 2 
			 2007-08 1 
			 2008-09 0 
			 Total 31 
			 (1) Data are as at 24 November 2009; figures are subject to revision as cases are dealt with by the police and by the courts, or as further information becomes available.  (2) Data are shown according to the year in which police initially recorded the offence as homicide, which is not necessarily the year in which the offence took place or the year in which any court decision was made. 
		
	
	According to data held on the Homicide Index, two of these offenders received indeterminate sentences for public protection for their second homicide offences, one received an immediate custodial sentence of 14 years, and a fourth received a Restriction Order under the Mental Health Act 1983. The remainder received life sentences.
	Table 2 shows, for the offenders covered in Table 1, the year in which their previous homicide offence was recorded.
	
		
			  Table 2: Suspects convicted of homicide, 1998-99 to 2008-09, who had been convicted of homicide on a previous occasion, by year in which first homicide offence was committed, England and Wales( 1,2) 
			  Year in which first homicide offence was recorded  Number of offenders 
			 1971 1 
			 1973 1 
			 1975 1 
			 1977 1 
			 1979 3 
			 1982 1 
			 1983 1 
			 1985 1 
			 1986 1 
			 1988 1 
			 1989 1 
			 1991 2 
			 1992 1 
			 1993 4 
			 1996 2 
			 1997 2 
			 1998 2 
			 2000 2 
			 2001 2 
			 2002 1 
			 Total 31 
			 (1) Data are as at 24 November 2009; figures are subject to revision as cases are dealt with by the police and by the courts, or as further information becomes available.(  2) Data are shown according to the year in which police initially recorded the offence as homicide, which is not necessarily the year in which the offence took place or the year in which any court decision was made. 
		
	
	One of the offenders shown in Table 2 received a Restriction Order for his first homicide offence. For a further three offenders the custodial sentence lengths are not recorded on the Homicide Index. The custodial sentences given to the remaining offenders are shown in Table 3.
	
		
			  Table 3: Suspects convicted of homicide, 1998-99 to 2008-09, who had been convicted of homicide on a previous occasion, by length of custodial sentence on previous occasion, England and Wales 
			  Sentence length for first occasion  Number of offenders 
			 Over 12 months and up to and including 18 months 2 
			 Over 18 months and up to and including three years 0 
			 Over three years and less than four years 1 
			 Four years 3 
			 Over four years and up to and including five years 4 
			 Over five years and up to and including 10 years 4 
			 Over 10 years and less than life 1 
			 Indeterminate sentence 0 
			 Life 12 
		
	
	None of the 31 offenders identified on the Homicide Index as having been convicted of homicide between 1998-99 and 2008-09 with a previous homicide conviction, have been released from prison, according to data held by the Ministry of Justice.
	Under the Data Protection Act 1998 we are unable to release personal information about individual offenders.

Prisons: Carbon Emissions

Tom Levitt: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what steps his Department is taking to reduce the carbon footprint of prisons.

Maria Eagle: The National Offender Management Service (NOMS) is working with constructors to attain the Government's goal of constructing new buildings which emit zero carbon by 2018.
	NOMS aim is to produce increasingly sustainable prisons within the budgetary constraints in which it operates, focusing, in particular, on energy and emissions, water, waste and recycling. All new prisons are constructed with the aim of achieving an excellent rating under the Building Research Establishment's Environmental Assessment Method which measures a building's environmental performance.
	NOMS are also working with the Partnership for Renewables the Carbon Trust subsidiary, to enable the generation of renewable wind power at sites across the estate that are not needed for operational purposes. If planning decisions are favourable, this could lead to the production of enough energy to offset up to half the Prison Service consumption.
	Since 1999 the Prison Service and NOMS have reduced energy consumption by 29 per cent. Currently, 23 per cent. of energy used in prisons is procured from green suppliers. In addition to the 29 per cent. reduction the Carbon Management Implementation Plan aims to achieve a 3 per cent. year-on-year saving in carbon emissions in the next five years.
	Recently the Prison Service has been awarded the prestigious Carbon Trust Standard for its efforts in reducing the prison estate carbon footprint.

Prisons: Finance

Mark Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice pursuant to the answer of 26 January 2010,  Official Report, column 733W, on prisons: budgets, which prison governors have been required to identify savings in their budgets for 2009-10 by Directors of Offender Management.

Maria Eagle: As a general principle all public sector prisons are expected not to exceed their delegated budget for 2009-10. However at some sites this may not possible and the Director of Offender Manager will look to cover local pressures from underspends elsewhere within the region. A year-end forecast outturn is agreed locally between the prison Governor and the regional Director of Offender Management taking into account regional financial performance which may require some sites to deliver savings compared to their original budget.
	There has not been a specific requirement on public prisons to deliver savings against their delegated budget for 2009-10. But the National Offender Management Service has maintained the need for prisons to use resources efficiently; economically to deliver both value for money and in preparation for planned efficiency measures in 2010-11 which are part of the overall Ministry of Justice budget settlement.

Reoffenders

Paul Holmes: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice whether his Department has commissioned research on reoffending patterns.

Claire Ward: The Ministry of Justice makes a key contribution to the goal of reducing reoffending through the National Offender Management Service and the work of the courts. Research in support of the goal to reduce reoffending, which assesses patterns of reoffending, includes: a study to predict the future costs of an offender and three large surveys of offending during and after their contact with the criminal justice system. National Statistics on reoffending are also produced annually for adults and juveniles and quarterly for probation caseload by probation area and upper-tier local authorities.

Young Offender Institutions: Food

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice which young offender institutions provide food in accordance with Department of Health guidelines on  (a) eating five portions of fruit and vegetables a day and  (b) other aspects of healthy eating.

Maria Eagle: Young offender institutions in England and Wales provide a multi-choice, pre-select menu that includes healthy options-and they must offer at least five portions of fruit and vegetables each day.
	There are a number of initiatives to encourage healthy eating including working towards food specifications with reduced sugar and salt content, favouring steaming and baking rather than shallow and deep frying and avoiding adding salt and sugar during the cooking process. A balanced approach to nutrition is being pursued in line with the Department of Health's guidelines.
	Educating all prisoners, including young offenders, to eat a more healthy diet is key. Increasingly the National Offender Management Service is adopting a multi-disciplinary approach and working with the Department of Health, the Food Standards Agency and others to encourage individual prisoners to eat more healthily.

Young Offender Institutions: Food

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what his latest estimate is of the average cost of providing food for an inmate for one week in each young offender institution which holds juveniles.

Maria Eagle: The average Prison Service weekly food expenditure per prisoner(1) in public sector young offender institutions holding juveniles during 2008-09 (latest available data) is shown in the table.
	(1) The daily food cost has been calculated using available management information from the National Offender Management Service finance systems and assumes that all transactions have been allocated and recorded against the correct accounting codes.
	
		
			  Average weekly cost of food per prisoner-2008-09 
			   £ 
			 Brinsford 16.85 
			 Castington 17.61 
			 Cookham Wood(1) 19.94 
			 Downview 15.54 
			 Eastwood Park 18.11 
			 Feltham 22.48 
			 Foston Hall 16.95 
			 Hindley 17.51 
			 Huntercombe 18.27 
			 New Hall 17.29 
			 Stoke Heath 17.36 
			 Warren Hill(2) 18.31 
			 Werrington 22.48 
			 Wetherby 18.08 
			 (1) Includes Rochester as its kitchen also provides meals for Cookham Wood and it is not possible to separate food costs for the two sites. (2) Includes Hollesley Bay as their kitchen also provides meals for Warren Hill and it is not possible to separate food costs for the two sites.

Youth Custody

David Burrowes: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice pursuant to the answer of 14 January 2010,  Official Report, column 1158W, on youth custody: manpower, how many  (a) children and young people and  (b) staff there are in each (i) secure children's home and (ii) secure training centre.

Maria Eagle: The population of each secure children's home and secure training centre is set out in the following table. The data have been supplied by the Youth Justice Board and have been drawn from administrative IT systems, which, as with any large-scale recording system, are subject to possible errors with data entry and processing and may be subject to change over time.
	
		
			  Young people in secure training centres and secure children's homes, as at 1 January 2010 
			  Unit  Young people in custody 
			  Secure children's home  
			 Aldine House 4 
			 Aycliffe 21 
			 Barton Moss 18 
			 Clayfields 10 
			 East Moor 20 
			 Hillside 14 
			 Lincolnshire 8 
			 Red Bank 21 
			 Swanwick Lodge 12 
			 Vinney Green 20 
			   
			  Secure training centre  
			 Rainsbrook 65 
			 Medway 59 
			 Oakhill 61 
			 Hassockfield 49 
		
	
	The Youth Justice Board agrees minimum staffing levels with providers of secure training centres.
	The total number of staff employed at secure training centres and secure children's homes is decided by the relevant provider. This information is commercially confidential, as it would be of value to competitors when tendering for contracts.

Youth Custody

David Burrowes: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice pursuant to the answer of 14 January 2010,  Official Report, column 1158W, on youth custody: manpower, what the ratio of staff to prisoners is in the  (a) Down View,  (b) Eastwood Park,  (c) Foston Hall,  (d) New Hall,  (e) Parc and  (f) Keppel Unit, Wetherby young offenders institution.

Maria Eagle: The following table shows the staff to prisoner ratio for each of the establishments listed at 31 December 2009. The data have been drawn from administrative systems which, as with any large-scale recording system, are subject to possible errors with data entry and processing and may be subject to change over time. The ratios relate to staff across the entire establishments and not just those parts which hold young offenders. The ratios are calculated as the number of unified staff, which consists of officers and operational managers, employed for each prisoner.
	
		
			  Officer and operational manager to prisoner ratios (as at 31 December 2009) 
			  Establishment  Unified staff  Total population  Ratio of unified staff to prisoners 
			 Downview 131 340 2.6 
			 Eastwood Park 162 259 1.6 
			 Foston Hall 153 219 1.4 
			 New Hall 221 356 1.6 
			 Wetherby(1) 235 310 1.3 
			 Parc(2) 286 1,156 4.0 
			 (1) Figures for Keppel unit are not available, full establishment figures provided. (2) Figures for Parc relate to 30 November 2009.

Youth Custody

David Burrowes: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice pursuant to the answer of 12 January 2010,  Official Report, columns 940-1W, on youth custody, how many accommodation units there are in  (a) Down View,  (b) Eastwood Park,  (c) Foston Hall,  (d) New Hall,  (d) Parc and  (e) Keppel Unit, Wetherby young offenders institution; how many staff are employed in each such unit; and how many young people each such unit accommodates.

Maria Eagle: The following table shows the number (and operational capacity) of those accommodation units that are used to hold young people (under 18) in the relevant establishments. The table also includes the operational capacity and the total number of staff in post at these establishments.
	
		
			  Establishment  Number of units  Operational capacity of unit/s  Operational capacity of establishment( 1)  Total number of staff in post( 1) 
			 Downview 1 17 359 131 
			 Eastwood Park 1 16 362 162 
			 Foston Hall 1 17 291 153 
			 New Hall 1 28 447 221 
			 Parc 2 64 1200 286 
			 Wetherby (2)7 408 408 235 
			 (1) December 2009 (2) Including Kepple Unit 
		
	
	These figures have been drawn from central administrative/recording systems, which, as with any large scale recording system, are subject to possible errors with data entry and processing.

BUSINESS, INNOVATION AND SKILLS

Broadband

Don Foster: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what proportion of households in the UK and which geographical areas he estimates will be without broadband access after the Universal Service Commitment has been fulfilled in 2012.

Stephen Timms: Our ambition is to ensure a service is available to all households and businesses in the UK. There may be some areas which for technical reasons prove prohibitively expensive to serve using any technologies, but I expect these to be somewhat less than 1 per cent. These premises-if any-will be identified through the tender process.

Broadband

Don Foster: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills which geographical areas of the UK have no broadband access.

Stephen Timms: According to Ofcom's Communications Market Report published in August 2009, over 99 per cent. of households are connected to a broadband enabled exchange. The Report can be found at:
	http://www.ofcom.org.uk/research/cm/cmr09/cmr09.pdf
	We estimate that 89 per cent. of homes can readily get a 2 Mbps (or higher) broadband service (as reported in the Digital Britain White Paper, June 2009). According to the website Sam Knows there are currently 24 unenabled exchanges throughout the UK: Barvas, Berneray, Bornish, Carloway, Carnan, Drinnishadder, East Marden, Eriskay, Great Bernera, Grogarry, Isfield, Leverburgh, Locheport, Lochmaddy, Manish, North Tolsta, Northbay, Plaistow, Roding, Scalpay, Scarista, Scarp, Sutton and Timsgarry. Other homes unable to access a 2 Mbps level of broadband due to line length or other factors are widely dispersed throughout the country.

Business

David Hamilton: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what steps his Department has taken to ensure that people with legal responsibilities for companies in liquidation are not able to form new companies before having met the liabilities of the original company.

Ian Lucas: There are no plans to require directors to meet the liabilities of a company in liquidation before being allowed to form a new company. It is a long established principle that the debts of a company do not fall on the directors save in certain limited circumstances, for example where they have given personal guarantees. To breach this principle would run the risk of deterring entrepreneurial behaviour.
	It should be remembered that not all companies fail through the fault of directors, but where their behaviour falls short of that expected, we can and do take action to have them disqualified.
	Successful action against a director, under the Company Directors Disqualification Act 1986, debars him or her from participating in the formation, promotion, or management of a limited company for a period of up to 15 years.

Business: Government Assistance

Mark Prisk: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what information his Department holds on the number of banks which have asked applicants under the Enterprise Finance Guarantee Scheme to use their homes as collateral for a loan; and if he will make a statement.

Rosie Winterton: The Government have made it very clear that lenders are not permitted to take a direct charge over a principal private residence for a new EFG loan. The Department issued a clarification to this effect in February 2009 to the lenders which is published on the BIS website:
	http://www.berr.gov.uk/whatwedo/enterprise/finance/efg/page50308.html
	Where the Department has been informed of instances where it is alleged that lenders have attempted to contravene the rules, these instances have been raised with the lender concerned. However, due to level of correspondence the department receives on EFG in general, we do not hold figures on the number of cases or of banks where this has been an issue.
	It is important to distinguish between an EFG loan and where a bank is offering a business a loan on commercial terms. This line can often become blurred as financing arrangements can be complex. For example, a lender might offer a package of lending to a company that includes EFG and non-EFG lending. The EFG rules apply only to the EFG component of any loan package.
	If a lender decides that they can lend commercially but require security in the form of a residential property to do so, the Government would not expect them to offer an EFG loan as an alternative. EFG should only be used where the business is viable but the lender is not able to lend on commercial terms.

Business: Government Assistance

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what steps his Department has taken to ensure that borrowing guaranteed under the Enterprise Finance Guarantee Scheme relates to new lending only.

Rosie Winterton: The Enterprise Finance Guarantee (EFG) is a facility for lenders to enable additional lending to viable SMEs who sit on the margins of commercial lending decisions.
	EFG not only enables new terms loans, but also refinancing of existing term loans, overdraft conversion, guarantees on invoice facilities, and guarantees on new or increased overdraft borrowing. Lenders are required to state which form of lending is being undertaken in each case before the loan guarantee is approved.
	However, in respect of refinancing existing debts EFG may only be used in cases where the lender is able to certify that the borrower is viable but requires a rescheduling of those debts to ease cash flow pressures, and where the borrower has insufficient security to enable that rescheduling to take place without the support of EFG.

Business: Sports

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills whether his Department has taken steps to assist field sports businesses during the recession.

Rosie Winterton: There is no specific help for field sports businesses. However, this Department has introduced a range of general measures to help businesses through the global recession and is continuing to provide help to promote growth during the recovery. Small and medium-sized businesses can find information and support at:
	www.businesslink.gov.uk/realhelp
	or by contacting the Business Link Helpline on: 0845 6009006.
	Measures include:
	The Enterprise Finance Guarantee (EFG)-encourages additional bank lending to viable businesses who have no or insufficient security and who would not otherwise secure a commercial loan. A £1.3 billion facility is in place to be accessed by the end of March 2010, and this was extended in the recent Pre-Budget Report for a further year to March 2011, with a £500 million budget for the financial year 2010-11. Over £1.11 billion of eligible EFG applications from over 9,870 firms have been granted, are being processed or assessed, and over 7,630 businesses have been offered loans totalling nearly £780 million.
	The Capital for Enterprise Fund (CfEF)-a £75 million fund supporting viable business with equity or mezzanine investment aimed at releasing and sustaining growth and can invest between £200,000 and £2 million where the business has exhausted its borrowing capacity with lenders. Offers totalling £84.5 million have been made to 55 businesses, of which 34 offers worth £52.6 million are live. 18 businesses have received investment so far totalling £25 million. Businesses who would like to explore whether the fund might benefit them can contact the fund managers assigned to their geographical location through:
	www.capitalforenterprise.gov.uk/portfolio
	Health Checks through Business Link, which provide a free review of a business with a professional business adviser for hands-on advice and help accessing the full range of government help. To date, over 110, 000 businesses have benefited from health checks. 79 per cent. of SMEs accessing Health Checks were satisfied with the information provided and of those who accessed additional support, 93 per cent. were satisfied with this further assistance. 86 per cent. of all assisted businesses would recommend Health Checks to other businesses.(1)
	Encouraging prompt payment-Government Departments have committed to pay their bills within 10 days to help small businesses. From 1 June 2009 to 31 December 2009 central Government Departments have paid nearly £107 billion worth of payments in 10 days. And we have encouraged big companies to sign up to a Code of Practice to help their suppliers (according to data provide by Experian the total value of suppliers to prompt payment code signatories is over £750 billion). We are also helping business manage their finances (over 109,000 guides on 'Help with Managing your cashflow' have already been downloaded from the BusinessLink.gov.uk website).
	Additional flexibilities for SMEs were introduced into Train to Gain from January 2009 to help employers continue to train their staff through the recession in preparation for the recovery. These flexibilities included access to funding for repeat qualifications, the introduction of units of learning in business critical areas such as marketing and IT, and extension of the access to the leadership and management advisory service for very small SMEs (less than 10 employees). In 2008/09 academic year, over 559,800 SME employees have started courses through Train to Gain.
	In addition, the Solutions for Business (SfB) portfolio is the Government's long-term, simplified offer of support products for business. Government provide about £2 billion of support to business through the portfolio. Solutions for Business products offer help with common issues such as accessing finance, innovation, business and manufacturing advice, research and development, knowledge sharing, skills and training, exporting and overseas trade, and resource efficiency, including low carbon. Small and medium-sized businesses can find information and support at:
	www.businesslink.gov.uk/solutions
	(1) Early Assessment of Business Link Healthchecks-November 2009.

Business: Torbay

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what recent steps his Department has taken to assist  (a) small,  (b) medium-sized and  (c) large businesses in Torbay constituency.

Rosie Winterton: I can confirm that, as of 20 January 2010, 13 businesses have been offered loans valued in total at £800,000, of which 10 with a total value of £600,000 have been drawn down by businesses as part of the Enterprise Finance Guarantee (EFG) scheme, part of the Government's Real Help for Business Now support.
	I can also confirm that during 2009, Business Link, the primary access channel for business to access Government support, has assisted a total of 2,280 small and medium sized businesses and seven large businesses in the Torbay unitary authority area. Of these, 307 received more intensive support to help their business. Since October 2008, BL has completed 465 health checks for businesses in the Torbay area. This compares to 9,636 health checks that have been completed in the region as a whole as at the end of December 2009.
	South West Regional Development Agency (SWRDA) provides a range of assistance in the Torbay area to ensure the supply of suitable business premises, business support and advice. This includes the provision of funding for a network of Innovation Centres which will provide incubation space for new business start-ups in the knowledge based sectors.
	SWRDA also provides specialist help and advice to larger companies in Torbay, for example on graduate level recruitment and energy matters. Companies in the area also benefit from the services of the South West MAS (Manufacturing Advisory Service).
	The RDA and other partners also come together as the Devon Area Action Force and work closely with those Torbay companies facing redundancies.
	The local fishing industry will benefit from the RDA and EU-funded Brixham fish market which aims to sustain fishing and other industries in the town. The White Rock Business Park, in Paignton, is being developed using RDA and ERDF finance and will support 3,000 jobs. The RDA is also investing £2.5 million, as co-financing with ERDF, business support under the Urban Enterprise priority of the Competitiveness programme.

Business: Weather

Keith Vaz: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what estimate he has made of the cost to business in  (a) Leicester and  (b) the East Midlands of the adverse weather conditions of December 2009 and January 2010.

Rosie Winterton: There are no official estimates at this early stage of local, regional or national cost to business as a result of the adverse weather but there are indications that some businesses lost trade due to customers being unable to travel or lost output due to staff being unable to attend work. We will continue to monitor the situation and estimates as these become available.

Carbon Emissions

Neil Gerrard: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills whether  (a) his Department and  (b) each of its agencies plans to sign up to the 10:10 campaign to cut carbon emissions by 10 per cent. in 2010.

Patrick McFadden: This Department is supportive of the objectives of the 10:10 campaign. BIS has been working towards achieving the Government's extensive SOGE targets in recent years and has plans to further reduce its carbon emissions over the next or so. BIS does, however, have some reservations as to whether it can be sure of hitting the 2010 target as it is in the middle of reorganising its London HQ estate to accommodate the summer 2009 machinery of government changes.
	I have approached the chief executives of the Insolvency Service, Companies House, National Measurement Office and the Intellectual Property Office and they will respond directly to my hon. Friend.
	 Letter from Stephen Speed, dated 29 January 2010:
	The Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills has asked me to reply to your question whether (a) his Department and (b) each of its agencies plans to sign up to the 10:10 campaign to cut its carbon emissions by 10 per cent. in 2010.
	The Insolvency Service has not signed up to this specific initiative to cut carbon emissions. The agency has however already made significant progress towards reducing its carbon emissions, including through the introduction of new IT, which utilises 'thin-client' desktop devices. In addition we have developed a strategic action plan, which should see further substantial improvements in our contribution to the climate change agenda over the coming years.
	 Letter from Gareth Jones, dated 29 January 2010:
	I am replying on behalf of Companies House to your Parliamentary Question tabled 13 January 2010, UIN 311389, to the Minister of State for Business, Innovation and Skills.
	Companies House supports the 10:10 campaign and will be trying to reduce its carbon emissions accordingly. In recent years, however, Companies House has been proactively reducing its carbon emissions to meet the government's SOGE targets. This has meant that a large majority of energy efficient measures have already been implemented, and the carbon savings are already being achieved.
	 Letter from Peter Mason, dated 29 January 2010:
	I am responding in respect of the National Measurement Office to your Parliamentary Question, tabled on 13 January, to the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills asking whether the Department and its agencies planned to sign up to the 10:10 campaign to cut carbon emissions by 10% in 2010.
	The National Measurement Office is committed to contributing to the Government's aim to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from the UK. However, it will not be in a position to sign up to the 10:10 campaign in the terms which have been proposed. This is because we will shortly be taking on new activities here connected with enforcing certain environmental regulations, notably the Energy Using Products Regulations. We expect that this work, by supporting the effective enforcement of these regulations, will have a significantly larger effect on reducing emissions across the country than attempting to impose restrictions on energy use within our own building which would hinder this important regulatory work.
	 Letter from Sean Dennehey, dated 15 January 2010:
	I am responding in respect of the Intellectual Property Office to your Parliamentary Question tabled 13 January 2010, to the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills.
	The Intellectual Property office is currently considering signing up to the 10:10 campaign. We have already set ourselves an internal target for 2009/10 to reduce all carbon emissions by 10%.

Departmental Advertising

Grant Shapps: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what advertising campaigns for which his Department is responsible have  (a) commenced and  (b) continued in 2009-10; and what the total cost of each campaign has been.

Patrick McFadden: The total cost of advertising campaigns in 2009/10 cannot be provided as the exact costs will not be known until all the campaigns have been completed when fully audited figures will be available.
	We can provide figures for spend to date on advertising campaigns in 2009/10:
	
		
			  2009/10 Campaign 
			  £ 
			   Press  Radio  Poster  Online  Media total 
			 Vulnerable Workers Campaign 2009/10 483,732 120,089 225,875 294,429 1,124,125 
			 Agency Workers - - - 322,806 322,806 
			 National Minimum Wage 2009/10 - 68,653 31,165 137,000 236,818 
			 Employing People - - - 2,280 2,280 
			 Graduate Internship Program 2009/10 191,000 400,000 - 400,000 991,000 
			 Science: (So what? So everything) campaign 2009/10 19,167 - - - 19,167 
			 Trawlermen Compensation Scheme 2009/10 5,913 - - - 5,913 
			 Total 2009/10 to date - - - - 2,702,109

Departmental Advertising

Grant Shapps: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills how much he expects his Department to spend on  (a) television,  (b) radio,  (c) print and  (d) online advertising in (i) 2009-10 and (ii) 2010-11.

John Hayes: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what expenditure his Department expects to incur on advertising in the next 12 months; and for what purposes.

Patrick McFadden: Spending on advertising procured through the Central Office of Information (COI) by the Department in 2009-10 to date is as follows (this includes spend for advertising campaigns started by the former Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform (BERR) and the former Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills (DIUS)):
	
		
			  £ 
			  2009-10 Campaign  Press  Radio  Poster  Online  Media total 
			 Vulnerable Workers Campaign 2009-10 483,732 120,089 225,875 294,429 1,124,125 
			 Agency Workers - - - 322,806 322,806 
			 National Minimum Wage 2009-10  68,653 31,165 137,000 236,818 
			 Employing People - - - 2,280 2,280 
			 Graduate Internship Program 2009-10 191,000 400,000 - 400,000 991,000 
			 Science: (So what? So everything) campaign 2009-10 19,167 - - - 19,167 
			 Trawlermen Compensation Scheme 2009-10 5,913 - - - 5,913 
			 Total 2009-10 to date - - - - 2,702,109 
		
	
	Expected expenditure on further advertising campaigns planned for the remainder of 2009-10 is:
	National Minimum Wage: £429,428 total
	(£214,317 for radio and £215,111 for press)
	Science So What, So Everything: £229,306 total
	(£141,242 for radio partnership, £80,664 for digital partnership and £7,400 for digital search).
	Expected expenditure on advertising in 2010-11 cannot be provided as plans have not yet been finalised.

Departmental Advertising

John Hayes: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills how much his Department spent on advertising in the last 12 months; and for what purposes.

Patrick McFadden: It is not possible to provide figures for expenditure on advertising confined to the last 12 calendar months. We can provide figures for spend in financial years 2008/09 and 2009/10 to date.
	Spending on advertising procured through the Central Office of Information (COI) by the Department in 2009/10 to date is as follows (this includes spend for advertising campaigns started by the former Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform (BERR) and the former Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills (DIUS):
	
		
			  2009/10 BIS Campaign 
			  £ 
			   Press  Radio  Poster  Online  Media total 
			 Vulnerable Workers Campaign 2009/10 483,732 120,089 225,875 294,429 1,124,125 
			 Agency Workers - - - 322,806 322,806 
			 National Minimum Wage 2009/10 - 68,653 31,165 137,000 236,818 
			 Employing People - - - 2,280 2,280 
			 Graduate Internship Program 2009/10 191,000 400,000 - 400,000 991,000 
			 Science: (So what? So everything) campaign 2009/10 19,167 - - - 19,167 
			 National Minimum Wage 2009/10 - 68,653 31,165 - 99,818 
			 Trawlermen Compensation Scheme 2009/10 5,913 - - - 5,913 
			 Total 2009/10 to date - - - - 2,702,109 
		
	
	Spending on advertising procured through COI by BERR and DIUS in 2008/09 is as follows:
	
		
			  2008/09 BERR Campaign 
			  £ 
			   Press  Radio  Poster  Online  Media  t otal 
			 Agency Workers Campaign 2008/09 (first part of the Vulnerable Workers campaign) 341,212 518,139 - 128,469 987,820 
			 Employing People 2008/09 37,140 - - 544,454 581,594 
			 National Minimum Wage 2008/09 30,260 34,429 114,133 105,780 284,602 
			 Dispute Resolution 2008/09 5,977 - - 14,999 20,976 
			 Trawlermen Compensation Scheme 2008/09 3,317 - - - 3,317 
			 Total 2008/09 - - - - 1,878,309 
		
	
	
		
			  2008/09 DIUS campaign 
			  £ 
			   Press  Television  Radio  Online  Media total 
			 Higher Education Student Finance campaign 2008/09 155,000 1,400,000 305,000 335,000 2,195,000 
			 Science: (So what? So everything) campaign 2008/09 149,577 - - - 149,577 
			 Science and Innovation Consultation Search 2008/09 - - - 1,181 1,181 
			 Aim Higher websites hosting and updates 2008/09 - - - 5,182 5,182 
			 DIUS Graduate Careers and Postgraduate Study - - - 39,999 39,999 
			 Total 2008/09 - - - - 2,390,939

Employment Tribunals Service

Grant Shapps: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills how many industrial tribunals relating to his Department there have been in each of the last five years; and what the cost to his Department was of such tribunals in each such year.

Patrick McFadden: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 9 June 2009,  Official Report, column reference 850W. We only hold figures from 2006 onwards.

Higher Education: Fees and Charges

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills how many and what proportion of students from  (a) Herefordshire and  (b) England have made applications for (i) a student loan for maintenance, (ii) a student loan for tuition fees, (iii) a maintenance grant and (iv) a special support grant for the 2009-10 academic year; when he expects all such applications to have been determined; and if he will make a statement.

David Lammy: The Student Loans Company (SLC) has provided the following information on applications to 13 December 2009. Students do not specifically apply for grants. However, eligibility is determined by means testing and where means testing has been specifically requested this has been included as a guide to determining number of applicants who wish to be considered for maintenance or special support grant.
	I am advised that Student Finance England is now processing applications within normal time scales. They are still receiving around 1,000 new applications per week which will typically be processed within six weeks if all the required information and evidence has been provided.
	The SLC regularly provides high level processing and payment figures on their website and I am advised they will continue to do so on a monthly basis.
	
		
			  All applications received as at 13 December 2009 
			  rounded to nearest  100 
			   Herefordshire  England 
			 Total number of applications available for processing (1)3,200 934,000 
			 Requesting tuition fee loan 3,000 847,900 
			 Requesting maintenance loan 3,100 860,500 
			 Requesting means testing 2,200 619,800 
			 (1) Of the total number of applications available for processing as at 13 December 2009, 10 applications relating to Herefordshire were in process. The others had either been approved, found to be ineligible for support or had been processed as far as possible but were awaiting further information from the applicant.

Higher Education: Fees and Charges

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills how much has been applied for in respect of  (a) a student loan for maintenance,  (b) a student loan for tuition fees,  (c) a maintenance grant and  (d) a special support grant for the academic year 2009-10 which are still being processed; and if he will make a statement.

David Lammy: The Student Loans Company (SLC) has provided information on how much was applied for in the 5,000 applications(1) which were still being processed as at 13 December 2009. These applications represent about 0.5 per cent. of those available for processing for the 2009/10 academic year. As processing has not been completed in these cases it is not possible to provide figures on how much was applied for in grants as applicants do not apply for a specific amount. The amount is calculated through the means testing part of processing.
	I am advised that Student Finance England is now processing applications within normal timescales. They are still receiving around 1,000 new applications per week which will typically be processed within six weeks if all the required information and evidence has been provided.
	The SLC regularly provides high level processing and payment figures on their website and I am advised they will continue to do so on a monthly basis.
	(1) The figure of 5,000 applications in process does not include applications withdrawn by the applicant prior to approval, started online but never submitted to SLC, or those which SLC have processed as far as possible but are awaiting further information from students/sponsors.
	
		
			  Table: Total amount applied for in loans of the 5,000 applications in process as at 13 December 2009 
			   Count of applications(rounded to nearest 100)  Amount requested (rounded to nearest £000) 
			  Tuition Fee loans   
			 Requested maximum Tuition Fee loan 2,400 (1)n/a 
			 Requested partial Tuition Fee loan 300 584,000 
			 Requested no Tuition Fee loan 600 0 
			 Requested loan not yet known 1,700 (2)n/a 
			
			  Maintenance loans   
			 Requested maximum Maintenance loan 2,600 (3)n/a 
			 Requested partial Maintenance loan 100 (4)290,000 
			 Requested no Maintenance loan 600 0 
			 Requested loan not yet known 1,700 (2)n/a 
			 (1) The maximum Tuition Fee available in academic year 2009/10 was £3,225. However some Higher Education Institutions charge less. (2) These are applications at the very first workstage in the application processing cycle. Details of applicant, course and loans requested will not yet have been entered into the application assessment system. (3) The maximum Maintenance Loan available in academic year 2009/10 depends on cohort year of entry of the applicant and place of residence for applicant during term time. See Student Support for Higher Education England Awards Statistical First release for Academic Year 2009/10 (provisional), Table 1 'Student Support available', for further details: http://www.slc.co.uk/pdf/slcsfr062009.pdf (4) Note that the amount actually paid may be less than the amount requested depending on assessed entitlement.

Higher Education: Radicalism

John Hayes: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills when a Minister in his Department last met Professor Anthony Glees of Buckingham University to discuss extremism in universities.

David Lammy: No Ministers in either the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills or the former Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills have met with Professor Anthony Glees of Buckingham University.

Higher Education: Vetting

John Hayes: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills if he bring forward proposals to prevent people with a conviction for a crime of incitement from being employed at a higher educational establishment.

David Lammy: Convictions for crimes of incitement or violence even if spent must be declared on UCAS forms and applications from non-UCAS students. Universities will assess the risk in consultation with the police and relevant agencies and make appropriate decisions on whether a place should be offered. Higher education establishments are responsible for their own admissions policies and we do not centrally direct them. For international students, UKBA will assess prior convictions when making decisions on issuing visas.

Overseas Students: Admissions

John Hayes: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what supporting documents his Department requires from the governments of overseas countries prior to the commencement of education in the UK of students who are foreign nationals.

Phil Woolas: I have been asked to reply.
	Overseas governments are not routinely required to provide supporting documents for students wishing to study here. However, where a student is in receipt of financial sponsorship from their home government, supporting documents are required to verify that a student meets the maintenance requirements specified in Tier 4 of the Points Based System.
	Other documents issued by overseas governments are required for applications, for example passports and birth certificates. While they are government issued they are not required to be produced specifically for applications to UKBA.

Regional Development Agencies: Mining

Grant Shapps: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills for what reasons  (a) his Department's representatives and  (b) representatives of regional development agencies did not attend the Department for Communities and Local Government's forum to co-ordinate cross-government working in coalfield areas as noted in National Audit Office's report on English Coalfields, HC 84, para 3.20.

Rosie Winterton: Responsibility for taking forward the economic regeneration of the former coalfield areas rests with the appropriate regional development agency (RDAs) in each region. Therefore, it is more appropriate for representatives of the RDAs to participate in the forum, rather than central BIS officials.
	The forum held five meetings between July 2007 and July 2009. Yorkshire Forward (YF) was the only RDA invitee to the meetings. YF was unable to attend three meetings due to diary commitments and an administrative error and they did not receive invitations for two meetings. The forum meetings held in September and December 2009 were attended by representatives from Yorkshire Forward.

Runshaw College

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills how many part-time students have registered for a higher education course at Runshaw College in each of the last five years.

David Lammy: Information on the numbers of students studying higher education level courses at further education colleges is not published at institution level.

Small Businesses: Taxation

Geraldine Smith: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills how many small businesses in  (a) Morecambe and  (b) Lancashire have applied to defer their tax payments in 2009-10 under the Government's late payment scheme.

Stephen Timms: Since its introduction on 24 November 2008 HM Revenue and Customs' (HMRC) Business Payment Support Service (BPSS) has agreed over 270,000 time to pay arrangements to spread tax payments of about £4.7 billion over timetables businesses can afford.
	From 24 November 2008 to 24 January 2010 HMRC agreed 5,270 time to pay arrangements, worth £78 million, under the BPSS with businesses in Lancashire. Data relating specifically to Morecambe, or just for small businesses are not available.

Students: Bankruptcy

David Ruffley: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills how many undergraduate students resident in  (a) Suffolk,  (b) the East of England and  (c) England have declared themselves bankrupt in each year since 1997.

David Lammy: The number of undergraduate students who have declared themselves bankrupt is not held centrally.
	The following table shows the number of undergraduate students in England who have student loans and who have notified the Student Loans Company (SLC) of their bankruptcy while studying. However, the table does not include students who have not applied for student finance and students who have student loans but who have not notified the SLC that they are bankrupt.
	
		
			  Financial Year  Students( l) 
			 1997-98 5 
			 1998-99 10 
			 1999-00 15 
			 2000-01 5 
			 2001-02 15 
			 2002-03 20 
			 2003-04 70 
			 2004-05(2) 60 
			 2005-06(2) 30 
			 2006-07(2) 15 
			 2007-08(2) 15 
			 (1) Figures rounded to the nearest five. (2) Since 2004 student loans are no longer written-off due to bankruptcy. From that time the number of students notifying the SLC of their bankruptcy has declined.  Note: Figures for Suffolk and the East of England cannot be supplied as they are so small as to potentially identify individuals.  Source:  Student Loans Company

Students: Finance

Nigel Evans: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what estimate he has made of the number of students in higher education who have not received student finance payments for the academic year 2009-10.

David Lammy: Data on numbers of applications processed, paid and still to be paid are available on the SLC website at:
	http://www.slc.co.uk/statistics/facts%20and%20%20figures/index.html
	I am advised that Student Finance England is now processing applications within normal timescales. It is still receiving over 1,000 new applications per week which will typically be processed within six weeks, once all the required information and evidence has been provided.

Students: Finance

Nigel Evans: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what estimate he has made of the number of students who have left their course of study as a result of not receiving their student finance payments for the academic year 2009-10.

David Lammy: The Department has not made an estimate of numbers of students who have withdrawn from a course in 2009/10 academic year due to delays in receiving student finance.
	Many students whose means tested applications could not be processed before the start of term, for example because of incomplete evidence, were given provisional non means tested maintenance awards and confirmation that their tuition fees would be paid.
	Students whose application for student support was not approved by the start of term would have been able to apply for help through the Access to Learning Fund which is provided by the Government and administered by Higher Education Institutions, and can provide assistance to students in financial hardship.

Students: Loans

Andrew Stunell: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills how many students resident in  (a) each local authority area in the North West and  (b) England had not received their first student loan payment for the academic year 2009-10 by 4 January 2010.

David Lammy: holding answer 12 January 2010
	The information in the following table has been provided by the Student Loans Company (SLC) and is a snapshot of the position at 3 January 2010 as regards payment of maintenance loans and grants for new and returning students studying in England and north-west England for academic year 2009-10.
	
		
			   England total  North-west England total  Blackpool  Bolton  Bury  Cheshire  Halton  Knowsley 
			 Approved applicants where course has not yet started 800 170 10 40 10 0 0 10 
			 Approved applicants confirmed as attending course and eligible for payment 828,240 108,850 2,090 4,560 3,620 12,520 1,730 2,220 
			 Students who have received first term's maintenance payment 825,170 108,470 2,080 4,540 3,600 12,440 1,730 2,220 
			 Students with first payment currently being processed through the banking system 1,760 250 0 10 10 70 0 0 
			 Students due to be paid for whom payment has not been released 1,310 130 0 10 10 10 0 0 
			 Of which NI number being verified with DWP 980 90 0 10 10 10 0 0 
			 Of which customer has not yet provided bank account details or payment blocked for another reason (e.g. fraud suspected) 330 40 0 0 0 0 0 0 
		
	
	
		
			   Lancashire  Liverpool  Manchester  Oldham  Rochdale  Salford  Sefton 
			 Approved applicants where course has not yet started 10 10 20 0 10 10 0 
			 Approved applicants confirmed as attending course and eligible for payment 20,780 7,570 8,110 3,660 3,540 3,260 5,500 
			 Students who have received first term's maintenance payment 20,720 7,550 8,080 3,640 3,520 3,250 5,490 
			 Students with first payment currently being processed through the banking system 40 10 20 10 20 10 10 
			 Students due to be paid for whom payment has not been released 20 10 20 10 10 0 0 
			 Of which NI number being verified with DWP 20 10 10 10 10 0 0 
			 Of which customer has not yet provided bank account details or payment blocked for another reason (e.g. fraud suspected) 10 10 10 0 0 0 0 
		
	
	
		
			   St. Helens  Stockport  Tameside  Trafford  Warrington  Wigan  Wirral 
			 Approved applicants where course has not yet started 10 10 0 0 0 10 10 
			 Approved applicants confirmed as attending course and eligible for payment 2,660 5,360 3,100 4,820 3,490 4,320 5,950 
			 Students who have received first term's maintenance payment 2,660 5,340 3,090 4,810 3,480 4,310 5,930 
			 Students with first payment currently being processed through the banking system 0 10 10 10 10 0 10 
			 Students due to be paid for whom payment has not been released 0 0 0 0 10 10 0 
			 Of which NI number being verified with DWP 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Of which customer has not yet provided bank account details or payment blocked for another reason (e.g. fraud suspected) 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			  Notes: 1. Rounded to nearest 10 applications. 2. Data effective 3 January 2010, no data source effective 4 January 2010 available for analysis. 3. Excludes applications where the university has not confirmed the student's attendance; applications which were cancelled or ineligible, and online applications which were started but not submitted to SLC.

Students: Loans

Andrew Stunell: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills how many people in each age group resident in  (a) each local education authority area in the North West and  (b) England had paid their student loans in full on the latest date for which figures are available.

David Lammy: The following table provides a breakdown by age of those students whose accounts are fully repaid and all the accounting action is complete as at 30 June 2009. However, as at the same date, there were a further 164,600 borrowers in England who had fully repaid their loan, but whose accounts were still in the process of being closed. It is not possible for us to provide a breakdown by age of those students.
	
		
			  Income-contingent loans fully repaid( 1) 
			   Age band at fully repaid date  
			  Local authority  Less than 20  20-24  25-29  30-39  40-49  50 and over  Grand total 
			 England 4,050 18,780 4,090 2,670 1,490 410 31,500 
			 
			 Blackpool * 20 10 * * * 40 
			 Bolton 30 90 20 10 10 * 150 
			 Bury 10 80 10 20 10 * 120 
			 Cheshire 60 310 50 30 20 10 480 
			 Cumbria 50 140 20 30 10 * 250 
			 Halton 10 30 * * * * 40 
			 Knowsley * 30 10 * * * 40 
			 Lancashire 110 400 70 80 40 20 720 
			 Liverpool 10 60 30 20 10 * 130 
			 Manchester 20 70 30 20 10 * 150 
			 Oldham 20 70 10 10 10 * 110 
			 Rochdale 10 80 10 10 10 * 110 
			 Salford 10 20 10 10 * * 50 
			 Sefton 30 90 20 10 * * 150 
			 St. Helens 10 30 10 10 * * 70 
			 Stockport 30 100 20 10 10 * 170 
			 Tameside 10 40 10 10 10 * 70 
			 Trafford 20 80 10 10 10 * 130 
			 Warrington 10 50 10 * 10 * 80 
			 Wigan 10 50 10 10 * * 90 
			 Wirral 20 80 20 10 * * 140 
			 * = less than 5. (1) Figures rounded to the nearest 10.  Source: Student Loans Company

Students: Loans

Stephen Williams: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills how many students in each constituency received a tuition fee loan in the latest year for which figures are available.

David Lammy: Reliable information is not available at constituency level.

WORK AND PENSIONS

Child Poverty

Karen Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what recent assessment she has made of the effectiveness of in-work benefits in countering child poverty.

Helen Goodman: In work benefits have already helped to lift 500,000 out of poverty. The increase in housing benefit, council tax benefit and child benefit alongside other measures including tax credits and the announced extension of free school meals to primary school age children from low income working families mean that over 2 million fewer children are living in poverty than would have been the case if we had simply uprated the 1997 system in line with prices.

Child Poverty

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what recent assessment she has made of her Department's progress towards meeting its 2010 child poverty target.

Helen Goodman: The decisive action taken by this Government has significantly reversed the trend of rising child poverty. As a result of the policies introduced since 1997 we have lifted 500,000 children out of relative poverty and halved absolute poverty.
	Measures announced in and since Budget 2007 will lift around a further 550,000 children out of poverty.
	The Government remain committed to the sustainable eradication of child poverty. The Child Poverty Bill, currently progressing through Parliament, will enshrine in law the commitment to eradicate child poverty by 2020 and, as far as possible, ensure that children do not experience socio-economic disadvantage.

Pension Credit

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what recent estimate she has made of the number of pensioners eligible for but not claiming pension credit.

Angela Eagle: The Government are committed to ensuring pensioners receive all the support they are entitled to.
	Pension credit take up is between 61 and 70 per cent. which increases to between 72 and 81 per cent. for the guarantee credit only which is paid to the poorest and generally older pensioners.

Income Support: Pregnancy

Natascha Engel: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if she will take steps to extend eligibility for income support to women who are 12 weeks pregnant.

Helen Goodman: The existing rules for Income Support are consistent with support for pregnant women in and out of work. Entitlement to IS and Maternity Leave, both begin at the 11(th) week before the EDO. This strikes a fair balance between the needs of taxpayers and employers and supporting individuals and families.
	We therefore, have no plans to change them.

Benefits Inquiries

Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what steps she is taking to ensure that inquiries about benefits from members of the public are dealt with locally; and if she will make a statement.

Helen Goodman: In common with other organisations telephony services are considered more accessible to a wider range of customers, increasing access to our services and the efficient use of public resources. Vulnerable customers not able to use the telephone are offered local face-to-face assistance.
	The Pension, Disability and Carers Service makes around 700,000 home visits a year to pensioners and disabled people. Working with partners it also supports a local information point network providing face to face information and advice about benefits and other services.

Jobcentre Plus: Coventry

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what recent steps her Department has taken to refurbish Jobcentre Plus offices in Coventry.

Jim Knight: We are aiming to use our existing estate wherever we can and have made some minor refurbishments to our offices.
	Tile Hill Jobcentre has gained 11 more customer-facing desks and staff in non-customer facing roles have relocated to an adjacent site, freeing up 80 additional desks.

Jobseeker's Allowance

James Duddridge: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what proportion of the population in  (a) Rochford and Southend East constituency and  (b) the UK is claiming jobseeker's allowance.

Jim Knight: In December 2009, 5.9 per cent. of the working age population of Rochford and Southend, East and 4.1 per cent. of the working age population of the UK were claiming jobseeker's allowance.
	Current figures for the UK are lower than had been expected.

Jobseeker's Allowance

Desmond Swayne: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate she has made of the number of people who will make a claim for jobseeker's allowance in 2010.

Jim Knight: The Department does not publish forecasts for the number of people who will make claims for jobseeker's allowance.
	In the pre-Budget report the Treasury published a projection for the claimant count showing it peaking at 1.75 million around the middle of this year and falling thereafter.

Jobseeker's Allowance

Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what proportion of the population in  (a) the UK and  (b) Isle of Wight constituency is claiming jobseeker's allowance.

Jim Knight: In December 2009, 4.5 per cent. of the working age population of the Isle of Wight and 4.1 per cent. of the working age population of the UK were claiming jobseeker's allowance.
	Current figures for the UK are 450,000 lower than had been predicted at the time of the Budget.

Future Jobs Fund

Joan Walley: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what support Jobcentre Plus provides for jobseekers under the Future Jobs Fund.

Jim Knight: The future jobs fund, part of the young person's guarantee, will ensure that all 18 to 24-year-olds who have been claiming jobseeker's allowance for six months will be supported into a job, work experience placement or work-related training, following completion of a personalised 'back to work' plan devised with a Jobcentre Plus personal adviser.

Youth Unemployment

Ann Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what her most recent estimate is of the level of youth unemployment.

Jim Knight: There are currently 927,000 ILO unemployed young people aged 16 to 24, which is a fall of 16,000 on the previous quarter. Of these, 269,000 (almost 30 per cent.) are in full-time education.
	The youth claimant count has fallen for the second consecutive month and is now 483,700.

Attendance Allowance: Ashford Kent

Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  how many people resident in Ashford constituency claimed attendance allowance in each of the last five years;
	(2)  how many people resident in Ashford constituency have claimed disability living allowance in each of the last five years.

Jonathan R Shaw: The available information is in the following table.
	
		
			  Attendance allowance and disability living allowance-cases in payment in Ashford parliamentary constituency 
			   May 2005  May 2006  May 2007  May 2008  May 2009 
			 Attendance allowance 1,930 2,020 2,150 2,280 2,390 
			 Disability living allowance 3,850 3,980 4,130 4,400 4,700 
			  Notes: 1. Caseload figures are rounded to the nearest 10. 2. Cases in payment show the number of people in receipt of an allowance, and exclude people with entitlement where the payment has been suspended, for example if they are in hospital.  Source: DWP Information Directorate Work and Pensions Longitudinal Study

Child Maintenance Enforcement Commission

Steve Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what measures have been taken by  (a) her Department,  (b) Jobcentre Plus,  (c) the Child Maintenance Enforcement Commission (CMEC) and  (d) other relevant bodies to promote the services of CMEC and to develop the information and support available through the Child Maintenance Options service to (i) parents already using the CSA and (ii) separating and new lone parents since the service became operational; and what consideration she has given to possible enhancements to the service. [300981 ]
	 Question number missing in Hansard, possibly truncated question.

Helen Goodman: The Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission is responsible for the child maintenance system. I have asked the Child Maintenance Commissioner to write to the hon. Member with the information requested and I have seen the response.
	 Letter from Stephen Geraghty:
	In reply to your recent Parliamentary Question about the Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission, the Secretary of State promised a substantive reply from the Child Maintenance Commissioner.
	You asked the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what measures have been taken by  (a) her Department  (b) Jobcentre Plus  (c) the Child Maintenance Enforcement Commission (CMEC) and  (d) other relevant bodies to promote the services of CMEC and to develop the information and support available through the Child Maintenance Options service to (i) parents already using the CSA and (ii) separating and new lone parents since the service became operational; and what consideration she has given to possible enhancements to the service.
	The Commission is working with a number of organisations, including Jobcentre Plus and Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs, to promote a number of services it offers. These include:
	Jobcentre Plus, which, upon first contact with a client, will send a leaflet, which introduces the Child Maintenance Options service, to those who have registered a child maintenance interest. They will also ask the client if they wish to be referred to the service. Those who agree, have their contact details passed on to Child Maintenance Options, which will then contact them to discuss their child maintenance issue.
	HM Revenue  Customs, which also refers newly separated parents to the Child Maintenance Options service when a client registers a change in circumstances for tax credit entitlements.
	The Commission is working closely with the Department for1 Children, Schools and Families (DCSF) to build awareness of financial responsibility. DCSF has launched a 'Separating Families' initiative to co-ordinate services provided for separated and separating parents and we have been engaging with them to ensure that information on child maintenance is included. This initiative is being piloted in ten local areas across the country.
	We are working closely with the Local Strategic Partnership in Nottingham to promote our services. Information on Child Maintenance Options has been .circulated throughout children's centres. Additionally, two 45 minute lesson plans are being included in the 'do you want to be in my position' teaching pack on sex and relationships education. This pack is being piloted in the Nottingham University Samworth Academy.
	We are exploring ways in which we can engage with health service professionals, through the Department of Health, particularly midwives and health visitors who are well placed to discuss child maintenance issues with new parents. We are also working with the Financial Services Authority to ensure that its financial education products stress the importance of financial responsibility and set out the Commission's services.
	We are also examining ways to engage with the Department for Communities and Local Government.
	Until now, the focus on the promotion of the Child Maintenance Options service has been on separating and new lone parents, particularly those claiming benefits and those whose family and friends may influence their behaviour. We hope this will help to foster collaboration and encourage the establishment of arrangements at the earliest opportunity. In July 2009, we successfully carried out a test promotional campaign in the Midlands region to promote the service.
	The results of the test have been very encouraging and headline results show a 56 per cent increase in calls to the service and a 103 per cent increase in website visits during the 12 week period of the campaign. Of those responding, we estimate that 65 per cent were parents with care, 22 per cent non-resident parents and 13 per cent friends and family. This supports our decision to launch the campaign nationally, from January 2010, to promote awareness of and encourage demand for the Child Maintenance Options service on a larger scale.
	The Commission is taking a number of steps to consider whether possible enhancements could be made to improve the service further.
	A strategic review of the Child Maintenance Options service has recently been completed and some key stakeholders, including Gingerbread and Relate, were invited to an open forum to discuss our plans for the future. Some of these plans include testing a range of service enhancements in the early part of next year to establish which-are the most effective in helping customers to establish a maintenance arrangement that works for them.
	There are a number of research and evaluation programmes being used among current and potential customers to enhance the information and guidance which the service offers, and to develop further the processes of referrals from other government organisations.
	The Commission will continue to evaluate each activity on an ongoing basis to inform future strategy.
	I hope you find this answer helpful.

Cold Weather Payments

John Mason: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what steps the Government is taking to inform pensioners not registered for pension credit of their entitlement to cold weather payments.

Helen Goodman: As this group of pensioners would not be eligible to receive a cold weather payment it would be inappropriate to target publicity towards this group.
	Customers eligible for cold weather payments are those in receipt of pension credit or income-related employment and support allowance that includes a work-related activity or support component. Those in receipt of income support, income-based jobseeker's allowance or income-related employment and support allowance in the assessment phase are also eligible if they have a pensioner or disability premium included in their benefit or they have a child who is disabled or under the age of five in the family.
	The Government are committed to ensuring pensioners receive the support they are entitled to. The claim process has been simplified and since November 2008 claims for housing benefit and council tax benefit, made over the phone with pension credit, can be forwarded directly to the local authority without the need for a signed claim form.
	Targeted regional take-up campaigns are being rolled out in selected regions, based on partnership working. The new campaign is designed to engage with the local pensioner population, by using channels of communication and working with organisations that they are likely to be familiar with. Using regional media to support targeted communications and raise awareness among friends and family.
	The Pensions Disability and Carers Service use business triggers in Pension Centres to help ensure those who may be entitled to pension credit claim it. Customer advisers will discuss making a pension credit application with those who may be eligible when a customer makes a claim to state pension, turns 60 years of age or informs the Pensions, Disability and Carers Service of a significant change in their circumstances.
	The Pension Disability and Carers Service also conduct around 13,000 home visits a week for vulnerable customers to ensure they are receiving the benefits they are entitled to, such as pension credit and attendance allowance. They have established joint Working Partnerships, which are either live or at the implementation stage, with all 203 primary tier local authorities in England, Scotland and Wales. These partnerships enable the Pension Disability and Carers Service, local authorities and the voluntary sector to provide a single point of access to social care and benefit entitlement.
	Also, we are planning a small pilot in 2010 which is designed to investigate the viability of making better use of the data currently held by DWP to improve pension credit take-up. The pilot will involve making awards of pension credit to a sample group of pensioners without them first having made a claim. During the course of the pilot, each award will be for a period of 12 weeks, and will be based on information we already hold. At the end of the pilot there will be a thorough investigation. This should provide evidence which could help inform future policy development in the area of benefit take-up.

Crisis Loans

Jim Cousins: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many crisis loans were made in each social services authority area in England in  (a) 2006-07,  (b) 2007-08 and  (c) 2008-09; and at what cost in each of those years.

Helen Goodman: The information is not available.

Departmental Public Expenditure

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much her Department spent on  (a) new furnishings,  (b) works of art and  (c) new vehicles in each of the last two years.

Jonathan R Shaw: The information requested on new furnishings and new vehicles is provided in the table.
	Works of art displayed in the Department for Work and Pensions are from the Government Art Collection (GAC), which publishes an annual list of acquisitions. The most recent details of acquisitions made by the GAC were published on 5 October 2009 and are available on the GAC website:
	http://www.gac.culture.gov.uk/information/publications.asp
	
		
			  £ million 
			  Financial year  Cost of new furnishings( 1)  Cost of new vehicles( 2) 
			 2007-08 5.0 0.008 
			 2008-09 4.3 (3)- 
			 (1) The provision of furnishings is for approximately 100,000 staff in 1,000 buildings and includes desks, chairs and other office furnishings. (2) The figures provided for the cost of new vehicles represent capital spend. The Department changed from purchasing to leasing vehicles in August 2007. (3) The DWP moved from outright purchase of vehicles to leasing in 2007. The overall cost of the vehicle fleet was £9.992 million. However, this cost includes charges for all vehicles, service and maintenance charges, Road Fund Licence and accident management services etc.

Departmental Telephone Services

Andrew Selous: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate she has made of the cost to callers to her Department's telephone helplines with the prefix of  (a) 0845 and  (b) 0844 in the last 12 months; and if she will make a statement.

Jim Knight: holding answer 26 January 2010
	The cost of calls to the Department's 0845 numbers will vary according to each service provider, who will determine their own costs. BT landlines charge the lowest tariff and 70 per cent. of DWP callers do so from a BT landline. BT provide free 0845 calls if the call is made within the individual caller's call plan. The cost of calls to 0845 numbers from mobile phones will also vary according to which mobile operator a customer uses.
	It would not, therefore, be possible to determine the cost of calls to the Department's 0845 telephone numbers.
	The Department does not use 0844 telephone numbers.

Employment and Support Allowance

Gary Streeter: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assessment her Department has made of the compliance of the benefits application process for employment and support allowance with disability discrimination legislation.

Jonathan R Shaw: Jobcentre Plus conducted an Equality Impact Assessment of employment and support allowance prior to its introduction in October 2008. This included the process for benefit applications. The screening stage of the assessment concluded that the introduction of employment and support allowance is not likely to discriminate unlawfully or have an unfair effect on particular groups of people.

Employment and Support Allowance: Mentally Ill

Hazel Blears: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what proportion of employment and support allowance claimants with mental health problems scored enough points to be considered unable to work in 2009.

Jonathan R Shaw: The information requested is not available at the moment. Data will become available in the near future.

Employment Schemes: Young People

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many places the Government has made available under the Young Person's Guarantee excluding those from the Future Jobs Fund; and if she will make a statement.

Jim Knight: The Young Person's Guarantee went live on 25 of January and therefore we have no figures of places to date. However, we will make sufficient places available to ensure all eligible young people are delivered the Young Person's Guarantee through a combination of the initiatives in Backing Young Britain, the existing 6 Month Offer, the Future Jobs Fund, Routes into Work, training and the Community Task Force, which will underpin the offer. We have designed the Community Task Force procurement to offer the necessary flexibility to respond to changing volumes and demand for places. The information on numbers of young people participating is not available as DWP does not project unemployment.
	The Young Persons Guarantee places will be demand led and all young people claiming past six months will be guaranteed a job, work-focused training, or work experience. A personal adviser will work with them to create a personalised back to work plan, ensuring they receive the most appropriate help to return to work quickly.

Flexible Working: Parents

Chloe Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many parents of young children have requested flexible working in  (a) each region and  (b) Norwich North constituency since the Employment Act 2002 came into force.

Patrick McFadden: I have been asked to reply.
	The proportion of employees with children (under 16 years old) who have requested to work flexibly and the acceptance rate for these requests by region and nation in Great Britain are provided in the following table. These figures are from the Flexible Working Survey (2005) and information is not available for the Norwich North constituency.
	The new employment rights introduced on April 2003 gave parents of children under six and disabled children under 18 the right to request flexible working, this was extended to carers in April 2007 and parents of children aged 16 and under in April 2009. The Flexible Working Survey was conducted in January 2005 and respondents were asked to consider whether they made a request to their current employer in the last two years. BIS' Work Life Balance Survey (2006) and EHRC's YouGov Survey of Parents' Attitudes to Work, Care and Family Life (2008) provide more recent information on requests to work flexibly, but cannot provide robust data by region due to their smaller sample sizes.
	
		
			  Requests to work flexibly over last two years, employees with children 
			  Percentage 
			   Employees with children (under 16) requests for flexible working  Acceptance (fully and partially) 
			 Great Britain 19 85 
			 England 19 85 
			 North East 20 (1)- 
			 North West (1)- 89 
			 Yorkshire and the Humber 19 73 
			 East Midlands (1)- (1)- 
			 West Midlands 13 (1)- 
			 East of England (1)- (1)- 
			 London 25 90 
			 South East 18 81 
			 South West 27 83 
			 Wales (1)- (1)- 
			 Scotland 19 88 
			 (1) Reliable figures are not available due to small sample sizes.  Source: Flexible Working Employee Survey 2005

Institution of Occupational Safety and Health: Finance

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what funding  (a) her Department and  (b) the Health and Safety Executive has provided to the Institution of Occupational Safety and Health in 2009-10.

Jonathan R Shaw: To date, DWP has not provided any funding to the Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH) in the financial year 2009-10.
	To date, HSE has not provided any direct funding to IOSH in financial year 2009-10.
	HSE is funding a feasibility study by the Chartered Institute for Environmental Health (CIEH) and IOSH on an accreditation system for health and safety professionals. HSE's contract is with CIEH, which will receive £42,000. CIEH will pay IOSH for the work that it carries out on the project.

New Deal for Young People: Salford

Hazel Blears: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many young people in the City of Salford have participated in the New Deal for Young People in each year since its introduction.

Jim Knight: The available information can be found in the following table:
	
		
			  New deal for young people-starters (spells): Salford parliamentary constituency, time series by year of starting the new deal 
			   Number 
			 1998 420 
			 1999 420 
			 2000 340 
			 2001 290 
			 2002 280 
			 2003 390 
			 2004 320 
			 2005 300 
			 2006 290 
			 2007 450 
			 2008 440 
			 2009 350 
			 Total 4,280 
			  Notes:  1. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10. Some additional disclosure control has also been applied. Totals may not sum due to rounding.  2. The latest new deal figures will be affected by the introduction of the new jobseeker's regime and flexible new deal (gradual implementation started from April 2009).  3. Westminster parliamentary constituency (post May 2005) is allocated using ONS Postcode Directory and customer's postcode.  4. The new deal for young people pilots began in January 1998 and full national roll-out occurred in April 1998.  5. Latest data are to August 2009.   Source:  Department for Work and Pensions, Information Directorate.

New Deal Schemes: Nottingham

Graham Allen: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people in Nottingham North constituency have been assisted into work through the New Deal since 1997.

Jim Knight: The information requested is in the following table:
	
		
			  New Deal-Jobs (spells) jobs gained: Nottingham North parliamentary constituency 
			   Total number of jobs gained 
			 1997 - 
			 1998 180 
			 1999 660 
			 2000 710 
			 2001 660 
			 2002 760 
			 2003 760 
			 2004 870 
			 2005 730 
			 2006 650 
			 2007 690 
			 2008 550 
			 2009 190 
			 Total 7,410 
			  Notes: 1. '-' is Nil or Negligible. 2. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10. Some additional disclosure control has been applied. Figures may not sum due to rounding. 3. The latest New Deal figures will be affected by the introduction of the new Jobseekers Regime and Flexible New Deal (gradual implementation started from April 2009). 4. Time series is the calendar year that the job was gained. Latest data are to May 2009. 5. Total number of jobs gained refers to the sum of all jobs (spells) obtained through New Deal for Young People, New Deal for 25+, New Deal for Young Parents, New Deal for Disabled People, New Deal for 50+ and New Deal for Partners. 6. Spells are not available for New Deal 50+ and New Deal for Partners so individual level data are used. 7. An error has been discovered in the numbers gaining a job through New Deal 50 Plus. This problem affects numbers from 2005 onwards where monthly jobs gained are overstated. The level of the overstatement rises gradually from 1 per cent. in early 2005 to around 13 per cent. for the most up to date numbers. Due to data processing methodology, other New Deals will be affected by less than 1 per cent. when this error is resolved. This issue will be corrected in the next release of statistics on 17 February.  Source: Department for Work and Pensions, Information Directorate

New Deal Schemes: Torbay

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people resident in Torbay constituency have received assistance through New Deal schemes in each year since 1997.

Jim Knight: The information requested is in the following table:
	
		
			  Total number of Starts to New Deals( 1)  in Torbay 
			   Number 
			 1997 * 
			 1998 640 
			 1999 1,040 
			 2000 940 
			 2001 860 
			 2002 1,050 
			 2003 1,040 
			 2004 1,470 
			 2005 850 
			 2006 910 
			 2007 1,050 
			 2008 950 
			 2009 490 
			 Total 11,290 
			 (1) Some additional disclosure control has also been applied. Totals may not sum due to rounding.  Notes: 1. Definitions and conventions: - nil or negligible; * not applicable. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10. 2. The latest New Deal figures will be affected by the introduction of the new Jobseekers Regime and Flexible New Deal (gradual implementation started from April 2009). 3. Spells are not available for New Deal 50 plus and New Deal for Partners so individual level data is used instead. Spells data is used for New Deal for Young People, New Deal for 25 plus New Deal for Lone Parents, New Deal for Disabled People. 4. Time Series-year of starting. The calendar year of starting New Deal. Latest data is to August 2009. 5. The New Deal for Young People pilots began in January 1998 and full national roll-out occurred in April 1998. 6. The New Deal for 25 plus programme was introduced in July 1998. 7. The New Deal for Lone Parents was introduced in October 1998. 8. The New Deal for Disabled People was introduced in July 2001. 9. Data on New Deal 50 plus is available from January 2004 (programme was introduced in April 2000). 10. Data for New Deal for Partners is available from April 2004 (programme started in May 1999).  Source: Department for Work and Pensions, Information Directorate

Pension Credit: Fraud

Nigel Waterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what percentage of the sum overspent on pension credit between April 2008 and March 2009 was attributable to fraudulent claims; and what steps she plans to take to change the pension credit application process to prevent such claims.

Helen Goodman: In 2008-09, 28 per cent. of pension credit overpayments were a result of fraud.
	In 2009-10 we have strengthened the pension credit application process by ensuring that claims in high-risk categories are selected for further scrutiny.

Pensions Act 2008

Gordon Banks: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assessment her Department made of the effects on competition of the decision to implement the provisions of the Pensions Act 2008 over a four year period.

Angela Eagle: holding answer 29 January 2010
	The challenge of implementing the workplace pension reforms contained in Part 1 of the Pensions Act 2008 is unprecedented with over a million employers and over 10 million people affected.
	In order to deliver the workplace pension reforms successfully, we are intending to stage in the automatic enrolment duties over a four year period, starting with large employers, medium and then small.
	Inevitably, staging of employers by size can affect the ability of employers to compete with each other in the short-term. This is because some employers will face the cost of administering the reforms and contributing to their employees' pensions sooner than employers staged later. The extent to which implementation affects employers' ability to compete will depend on: how employers choose to cope with the reforms (e.g. increase prices, reduce wages, reduce profits) and the level of competition between firms staged at different times.
	If, for instance, employers who are staged in earlier cope with the cost of the reforms by increasing prices then they will experience a price differential from competitors who are staged in later.
	We considered a number of approaches to staging, including segmenting employers by random selection, by industry type or by geographical region. We believe that staging by size offers the best balance of maximising deliverability while minimising employer burdens and competition impacts.
	We believe that any impacts on competition will be short-term and outweighed by the overall positive benefits of our approach. To further minimise competition issues we are also ensuring that employers will be required to contribute 1 per cent. of qualifying earnings throughout the staging period, before all employers move, at the same time, to 2 per cent. contributions, then 3 per cent.
	Table 1 shows the estimated average additional contribution cost per firm during the staging period for different firm sizes. It can be used to quantify the competition impact between firms. The longer the difference in staging between firms that actively compete with each other, the greater the difference in the contribution costs they face. For instance, a small firm staged in 12 months before another small firm that it actively competes with will face approximately £960 more in contribution costs than the firm that is staged later(1).
	(1) This is the cost of 12 months of additional contribution costs for large firms based on a £80 monthly cost.
	
		
			  Average additional contribution costs by firm size 
			   (£ monthly) 
			 Large firms (250 + employees) 5,340 
			 Medium firms (50-249 employees) 615 
			 Small firms (5-49 employees) 80 
			 Micro firms (1-4 employers) 15 
			  Notes:  Figures are expressed in 2009-10 earnings and prices and are rounded to the nearest £5.  Source:  DWP modelling.

Poverty: Children

Jim Cousins: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if she will estimate the  (a) number and  (b) proportion of children in (i) each region of England, (ii) Scotland, (iii) Wales and (iv) Northern Ireland who experienced material deprivation in (A) 2006-07, (B) 2007-08 and (C) 2008-09.

Helen Goodman: Information on the number and percentage of children living in low income households in each region and country of the UK is given in the following table for periods where data is available. Regional data are presented as three-year averages, due to variability in single-year estimates. Information for 2008-09 is not yet available.
	Material deprivation and low income is defined as being in a household with a household income of less than 70 per cent. of contemporary median income and a material deprivation score of greater than 25. Full details of the way scores are constructed are available in the public service agreement document Halve the number of children in poverty by 2010-11, on the way to eradicating child poverty by 2020. A copy is available in the Library.
	
		
			  Number and proportion of children falling below thresholds of low income and material deprivation, three year average 
			   Percentage of children  Number of children (million) 
			  Country or region  2004-05 to 2006-07  2005-06 to 2007-08  2004-05 to 2006-07  2005-06 to 2007-08 
			 England 16 17 1.8 1.8 
			 North East 20 20 0.1 0.1 
			 North West 19 20 0.3 0.3 
			 Yorkshire and the Humber 17 17 0.2 0.2 
			 East Midlands 17 19 0.2 0.2 
			 West Midlands 20 21 0.2 0.2 
			 East of England 11 10 0.1 0.1 
			 London 22 21 0.4 0.3 
			 South East 11 11 0.2 0.2 
			 South West 13 13 0.1 0.1 
			 Scotland 15 15 0.2 0.1 
			 Wales 18 17 0.1 0.1 
			 Northern Ireland 15 14 0.1 0.1 
			  Notes: 1. The reference period for households below average income figures is single financial years. Three sample years have been combined as regional single year estimates are subject to volatility. 2. A child is defined above as anyone aged under 16 or an unmarried 16 to 18-year-old in full-time non-advanced education. 3. Information on households in low income and material deprivation is available only from 2004-05. 4. The income measures used to derive the estimates shown employ the same methodology as the Department for Work and Pensions publication Households Below Average Income (HBAI) series, which uses disposable household income, adjusted (or equivalised) for household size and composition, as an income measure as a proxy for standard of living. The HBAI is available in the Library. 5. Low income and material deprivation is one of the three indicators for measuring child poverty. The other two measures are absolute low income, which includes households with incomes below 60 per cent. of the median income held constant in real terms from a 1998-99 baseline, and relative low income, which includes households with incomes below 60 per cent. contemporary median income. 6. The figures are based on Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development equivalisation factors. 7. Numbers of children have been rounded to the nearest hundred thousand children, while proportions of children have been rounded to the nearest percentage point. 8. Small year-on-year movements should be treated with caution as these will be affected by sampling error and variability in non-response.  Source: Households Below Average Income 2004-05 to 2007-08.

Social Security Benefits: Disabled

Jim Cousins: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many recipients of  (a) incapacity benefit and  (b) disability living allowance there are in Newcastle upon Tyne; and how many of these have issues of mental wellbeing or mental capacity or require support for mental health needs.

Jonathan R Shaw: The information is as follows:
	
		
			  Number of incapacity benefit/severe disablement allowance claimants in Newcastle  upon  Tyne local authority, and those with a diagnosis under the mental and behavioural disorders category-May 2009 
			  Newcastle  upon  Tyne local authority  Number 
			 All incapacity benefit/severe disablement allowance claimants 14,110 
			 Mental and behavioural disorders 6,490 
			 1. Case load has been rounded to the nearest 10. 2. Data published at www.nomisweb.co.uk and http://research.dwp.gov.uk/asd/tabtool.asp 3. Mental and behavioural disorders claimants are classified under the mental and behavioural disorders category according to the International Classification of Diseases (version 10). To qualify for incapacity benefit/severe disablement allowance, claimants have to undertake a medical assessment of incapacity for work which is called the personal capability assessment. Therefore, the medical condition recorded on incapacity benefit/severe disablement allowance claim form does not itself confer entitlement to incapacity benefits, so for example, the decision for a customer claiming incapacity benefit on grounds of mental and behavioural disorders would be based on their ability to carry out the range of activities in the personal capability assessment. 4. Employment and support allowance replaced incapacity benefit and income support paid on the grounds of incapacity for new claims from 27 October 2008. This does not include employment and support allowance as data by medical condition are not available. 5. The mental and behavioural disorders category includes: Unspecified Dementia, Alcoholism, Drug Abuse, Schizophrenia, Persistent delusional disorder, Unspecified non-organic Psychosis, Manic Episode, Depressive Episode, Recurrent Depressive Disorder, Persistent mood disorder, Unspecified mood disorder, Phobic Anxiety Disorders, Other anxiety Disorders, Reaction to Severe Stress, Dissociative Disorders, Somatoform Disorders, Other Neurotic Disorders, Eating disorder, Mental and Behavioural Disorders associated with the puerperium, not elsewhere classified, Psychological and behavioural factors associated with disorders or diseases elsewhere classified, Specific Personality Disorders, Unspecified Mental Retardation, Specific Development Disorders of Scholastic Skills, Pervasive Development Disorders, Mental Disorder not otherwise specified.  Source: Department for Work and Pensions Information Directorate 100 per cent. Work and Pensions Longitudinal Survey. 
		
	
	
		
			  Disability living allowance-cases in payment: Newcastle upon Tyne local authority and by main disabling condition-May 2009 
			  Newcastle upon Tyne local authority  Number 
			 Total 16,050 
			 Learning difficulty 1,500 
			 Mental health causes 3,200 
			  Notes: 1. Case load: Totals show the number of people in receipt of an allowance, and excludes people with entitlement where the payment has been suspended, for example if they are in hospital. 2. Main disabling condition-where more than one disability is present only the main disabling condition is recorded.  3. Case load figures are rounded to the nearest 10. 4. The best statistics on benefits are now derived from 100 per cent. data sources. However, the 5 per cent. sample data still provide some detail not yet available from the 100 per cent. data sources. The Department for Work and Pensions recommends that, where the detail is only available on the 5 per cent. sample data, the proportions derived should be applied to the overall 100 per cent. total for the benefit. 5. Learning difficulty: Includes Down's syndrome, Fragile X syndrome, Autism, Asperger syndrome, Retts disorder, Learning disability-Other / type not known. 6. Claims with mental health causes which started before October 2008 were classified as Psychosis, Psychoneurosis, Personality Disorder, Dementia or Behavioural Disorder. After October 2008 finer classifications were introduced so that Mental Health Causes which started after October 2008 also included: Depressive disorder, Bipolar affective disorder (Hypomania/Mania), Mood disorders-Other/type not known, Schizophrenia, Schizoaffective disorder, Psychotic disorders-Other/type not known, Post traumatic stress disorder, Stress reaction disorders-Other/type not known, Generalised anxiety disorder, Phobia-Specific, Phobia-Social, Agoraphobia, Panic disorder, Anxiety disorders-Other/type not known, Obsessive compulsive disorder, Anxiety and depressive disorders-mixed, Conversion disorder (hysteria), Body dysmorphic disorder, Dissociative disorders-Other/type not known, Somatoform disorders-Other/type not known, Personality disorder, Munchausen syndrome, Factitious disorders-Other/type not known, Dementia, Anorexia nervosa, Bulimia nervosa, Obesity, Eating disorders not otherwise specified, Conduct disorder (including oppositional defiant disorder), Bedwetting (enuresis), Faecal soiling (encopresis), Psychiatric disorders of childhood-Other/type not known, and Severely Mentally Impaired. 7. A diagnosed medical condition does not mean that someone is automatically entitled to disability living allowance. Entitlement is dependent on an assessment of how much help someone needs with personal care and/or mobility because of their disability. These statistics are only collected for administrative purposes.  Source: Department for Work and Pensions Information Directorate 5 per cent. sample (for main disabling condition breakdown) and Work and Pensions Longitudinal Study.

Social Security Benefits: Disabled

Hazel Blears: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people were eligible for  (a) incapacity benefit in September 2008 and  (b) employment and support allowance in September 2009.

Jonathan R Shaw: The available information is in the following table:
	
		
			  Number of incapacity benefit/severe disablement allowance and employment and support allowance claimants at the dates shown 
			   Number 
			 Incapacity benefit/severe disablement allowance in August 2008 2,632,000 
			 Employment and support allowance in May 2009 288,270 
			  Notes: 1. Caseload data have been rounded to the nearest 10. 2. August 2008 is the month closest to September 2008 for which incapacity benefit/severe disablement allowance claimant figures are available. 3. May 2009 is the latest quarter for which employment and support allowance claimant figures are available. 4. Employment and support allowance replaced incapacity benefit and income support paid on the grounds of incapacity for new claims from 27 October 2008. 5. The figures are for Great Britain and will include a small number of claimants resident overseas.  Source: DWP Information Directorate

Social Security Benefits: Medical Examinations

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many benefit claimants have been assessed by ATOS Medical  (a) since the start of their contract and  (b) in the last 12 months.

Jonathan R Shaw: The Department cannot state the number of individual claimants that have been assessed by Atos Healthcare since the start of their contract as data are not kept at that level.
	The total number of completed medical reports carried out by Atos Healthcare in the period requested is as follows:
	
		
			   Number 
			 1 January to 31 December 2009 1,003,189 
			  Notes:  1. The data refer to all services including but not limited to ESA, War Pensions, IIDB.  2. Figures provided relate to both exam and paper scrutiny.  3. Figures include multiple referrals for individuals e.g. re-referrals.   Source:  Atos Healthcare.

Social Security Benefits: Repayments

Andrew Selous: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the 10 largest benefit debts owed to her Department by individuals resident in Scotland were in January 2010; and to what principal benefit each such debt relates.

Helen Goodman: holding answer 29 January 2010
	Data on benefit debt is not broken down by geographical area.

Unemployment

Peter Bone: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what proportion of the population in  (a) the UK and  (b) Wellingborough constituency is in receipt of jobseeker's allowance.

Jim Knight: In December 2009, 4.2 per cent. of the working age population of Wellingborough and 4.1 per cent. of the working age population of the UK were in receipt of jobseeker's allowance.
	Current figures for the UK are 450,000 lower than had been predicted at the time of the Budget.

Vaccination: Compensation

Ian Stewart: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many claims for a vaccine damage payment in relation to each vaccine were  (a) made and  (b) granted under the Vaccine Damage Payment Scheme in each of the last 10 years.

Jonathan R Shaw: The Department does not hold information on claims made for each vaccine for a vaccine damage payment, or which specific vaccines are linked to a successful vaccine damage payment claim. Claimants are asked to specify on the claim form all the vaccinations the disabled person received. However, as many vaccinations can be given in close proximity to each other it is not always possible to state categorically which vaccine caused the adverse reaction. Where a payment is made disability is not attributed to any specific vaccination.

Winter Fuel Payments: South East

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  how many and what proportion of people were in receipt of winter fuel payments in each local authority area in South East England at the latest date for which figures are available;
	(2)  how many people in each local authority area in South East England were eligible to receive winter fuel payments in winter 2009-10.

Angela Eagle: Information on the number of people eligible for winter fuel payments is not available. Winter fuel payments are paid to most people over the age of 60. Over 95 per cent. of payments are made automatically without a need to claim.
	The following table contains the number of payments made in local authorities within south-east England in winter 2008-09 (the last year for which this information is available). Information on what proportion of all people this represents is not available.
	
		
			   Number of payments 
			 South-east Government regional office 1,809,250 
			   
			  England unitary authorities  
			 Bracknell Forest 17,880 
			 Brighton and Hove 44,260 
			 Isle of Wight 39,560 
			 Medway 47,250 
			 Milton Keynes 34,160 
			 Portsmouth 34,260 
			 Reading 22,500 
			 Slough 15,720 
			 Southampton 38,060 
			 West Berkshire 29,790 
			 Windsor and Maidenhead 29,320 
			 Wokingham 29,870 
			   
			  Buckinghamshire 103,130 
			 Aylesbury Vale 32,270 
			 Chiltern 22,270 
			 South Bucks 15,430 
			 Wycombe 33,160 
			   
			  East Sussex 143,090 
			 Eastbourne 26,180 
			 Hastings 18,560 
			 Lewes 26,390 
			 Rother 30,560 
			 Wealden 41,410 
			   
			  Hampshire 295,110 
			 Basingstoke and Deane 30,440 
			 East Hampshire 26,670 
			 Eastleigh 25,480 
			 Fareham 28,000 
			 Gosport 17,360 
			 Hart 18,580 
			 Havant 30,740 
			 New Forest 51,870 
			 Rushmoor 14,150 
			 Test Valley 25,740 
			 Winchester 26,080 
			   
			  Kent 320,190 
			 Ashford 24,310 
			 Canterbury 34,120 
			 Dartford 17,280 
			 Dover 27,200 
			 Gravesham 20,340 
			 Maidstone 32,530 
			 Sevenoaks 27,050 
			 Shepway 26,670 
			 Swale 27,910 
			 Thanet 34,320 
			 Tonbridge and Malling 25,240 
			 Tunbridge Wells 23,240 
			   
			  Oxfordshire 125,720 
			 Cherwell 26,590 
			 Oxford 20,130 
			 South Oxfordshire 29,560 
			 Vale of White Horse 26,430 
			 West Oxfordshire 23,010 
			   
			  Surrey 238,320 
			 Elmbridge 26,380 
			 Epsom and Ewell 15,720 
			 Guildford 26,680 
			 Mole Valley 21,520 
			 Reigate and Banstead 27,710 
			 Runnymede 16,490 
			 Spelthorne 20,640 
			 Surrey Heath 17,450 
			 Tandridge 18,850 
			 Waverley 28,760 
			 Woking 18,140 
			   
			  West Sussex 201,050 
			 Adur 16,440 
			 Arun 46,230 
			 Chichester 32,990 
			 Crawley 17,140 
			 Horsham 30,970 
			 Mid Sussex 31,320 
			 Worthing 25,970 
			  Notes: 1. Payment figures are rounded to the nearest 10. 2. Local authorities are assigned by matching against the relevant ONS postcode directory.  Source: Information Directorate

Work Capability Assessment: Complaints

Hazel Blears: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many complaints her Department and its agencies have received on the conduct of ATOS Healthcare in respect of a work capability assessment; and what percentage of such complaints have been made by claimants with mental health problems.

Jonathan R Shaw: In the quarter September 2009 to November 2009 ATOS Healthcare received a total of 702 complaints from employment support allowance claimants who were referred for a medical assessment. Data are not available to identify how many of the complaints were claimants with mental health conditions.
	In the same period ATOS Healthcare completed 118,084 medical examination assessments.

Work Capability Assessments: Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if she will take steps to ensure that the effects of retrovirus and other illnesses associated with myalgic encephalomyelitis are fully taken into account in assessments of claimants' capability to work.

Jim Knight: Entitlement to employment and support allowance does not depend on a person's diagnosis or on the treatment they are receiving. It depends on the effect their condition has on their ability to work. This is a fairer way than using criteria based on specific conditions or diagnoses, because the same condition can have very different disabling effects in different people.
	The Department recognises myalgic encephalomyelitis as a real and potentially very disabling condition. Each person claiming employment and support allowance is assessed on the basis of the way the condition affects them as an individual. The work capability assessment looks at a range of activities relevant to work, and assesses whether or not a person can carry them out reliably and safely, over a period of time.